Carved Smiles
by Cow-Lover2214
Summary: Tati hated her life, and she had always lived in constant fear. But when she suddenly landed in Middle Earth, she couldn't decide whether she felt free or if her life got worse. That was until she met people who promised to always protect, something she had never experienced before. Different from all the other falls-into-their-world stories. Some chapters will be rated M.
1. Chapter 1 Freedom in Disguise

_A/N:_ _Before we start I want to just make a few things clear for everyone_ _. First of all this fanfic is indeed a Dwalin/OC, but I will involve some_ _competition from the others_ _in the story. I also wanted to make it clear that I am also going to be doing a few_ _things differently from all the other OC stories/coming-from-another-world stories you've read_ _. Another_ _thing is what you're most likely going to expect happen, will probably not happen_ _. I want to make this_ _much more original_ _than all the other's I've read. Finally there will be_ _chapters that are rated M_ _! And I will_ _put out a warning but won't tell you why there's a warning_ _, just to be cautious since an explanation usually take's the twist away from the story. That's all, please read on!_

 **Chapter One**

 **Freedom in Disguise**

Pain erupted from her form, almost like a nuclear bomb went off inside of her as her vision turned white and red with pain. She couldn't think, and couldn't move; it was too painful for her to concentrate. And even as she laid there in the lush grass, her eyes trained up at the world above her; the normal colored sky, the trees that cowering over her, she still didn't pay any mind to it. Pain. That was all her mind seemed to register.

A sharp deep gasp busted from her throat, causing her vocal cords to vibrate as she gained some oxygen, taking it greedily in her lungs. And it was only then, while she breathed deeply, and while her body got over the sharp pain scattering throughout her limbs, did she finally realize just where she was. Somewhere deep within the wilderness, where she could clearly see the ground has been untouched by human's corrupting hands, and where the trees grew so tall you could mistake them for mountains, and the grass so pure it was a vibrant green.

Where ever she was, it was definitely beautiful. Though, even as she gaped at the beauty surrounding her, for once taking full advantage of the beauty's of nature, her heart started to panic. She had no idea where she was, or how she even got here. The last thing she remembered was waking up in her warm bed, about to get ready for school. But now, she was suddenly here in the woods, in the middle of nowhere, with only the clothes on her back, and the chapstick in her pocket. Other than that, she knew nothing more. Of course she remembered her name and her home life as well as her social life, but she couldn't seem to recall just how she came to be here.

Sighing as she ran a hand through her silky hair, she recalled everything she knew about herself, for once in her life questioning whether or not it was real. Her name is Tati, short for her real name Tatiana, which she remembered she hated. She's seventeen years old, and back home she had a mother and a stepdad, who she loathed greatly; the scars that dug deep into the entire canvas of her forearm, and the marking feeling deep within the depths of her being was proof enough.

Moving up to sit, she looked around again, not finding a trail or anything that could've led her to this exact spot. And even though she felt some relief that she was far away from the people that used to haunt her, at the same time she felt terrified she had never gone out by herself. Even being seventeen, she never left home to go on hikes, parties, or things like that; only leaving for school and whenever she had to go to the store, and sometimes she left to go spend time at the local park, which was always abandoned at night; just how she liked it.

But now, she was all alone, with on herself to rely on, unless there would be someone to cross her path, but from where she could see she was, it was highly unlikely for Tati. The odds were definitely not in her favor this time.

Finally, she stood up, her legs acting like jelly as she attempted to keep her balance, trying to do anything and everything in her power not to fall over. It seemed like the pain was still there, lingering on her back and painting over her legs. The girl was not quite sure why she was in pain in the first place, but she felt as if she had fallen off a cliff, and onto the depths of a rocky shore.

"Ah!" she gasped when the pain intensified and just like that she was falling, crying out even more as the pain worsened. She panted a bit, almost like breathing away the agony, and laid on the ground. Instead of wondering why she hurt so much, she focused on another sore subject that seemed to have punched her in the chest.

"Just w-where am I-I," Tati asked, perplexed. Her once frozen over waterfall suddenly wanted to burst from her eyes, begging to be released as it clawed at her eye lids. She was petrified, alone, and lost, that was enough to make her cry after keeping her eyes dry for years while she had been living with her mother and stepfather.

She almost considered calling out for someone, yet at the same time she wasn't stupid enough to do so; she knew she could attract unwanted ears as well as help. Besides her immense social anxiety kept her from doing so, as if her world would fall apart if she did. Instead of calling attention to some help, she pushed herself up on her forearms, and started to crawl towards a nearby tree that could give her some support. _I guess this must be payback for not participating in gym,_ her thoughts chastised, embarrassing thinking of her lonesome self standing at the corner of the gymnasium. She never saw the dazzle of playing sports or staying fit; most of the time it seemed too barbaric, especially when there were the kids who seemed to enjoy hitting others as hard as they can in their face.

"Are you alright dear," a kind elderly voice asked, interrupting Tati's concentration, and her journey to the tree. She glanced up towards the voice, feeling slightly relived about the shown help, yet she eyed him suspiciously and with fear she always felt towards new people; his clothes were quite strange but she guessed maybe he was a nearby LARPer, or maybe a convention was nearby. The older man had long gray hair, accompanied with a long gray beard, his eyes shined with wisdom, something that was rare these days as well as the era she lives in. He wore a strange long gray rode, which dusted against the ground elegantly, but that wasn't the most unusual thing about him. It had to be the hat he wore on his head and the thing he held in his hand. The hat looked to be a pointed witch hat that girls wore on Halloween, or possibly a wizard hat from those silly movies that Tati never seemed to have liked, and in his hands he held an elegant staff that looked almost too real to be a fake, with a glittering stone on the top.

Finally after a couple moments, despite her natural instinct to recoil from the man, Tati saw the kindness that resided in his irises, and for some reason, felt as if she could speak to him with feeling ashamed. She knew she had to get help soon, especially since she could practically feel more purple marks growing on her skin. "No, c-c-could you p-please help me s-sir," Tati asked politely, wincing as more pain erupted when she shifted her bones.

"What happened, are you hurt," he now asked, crouching down to her level as he inspected her body in the most honorable way she had ever seen. Most men Tati had been around with, thanks to her stepfather, had been quite lecherous, not matter how much younger she was to them. It always made her shudder whenever she replayed those moments in her mind, but instead of lingering on useless thoughts, Tati turned her full attention back onto the man, grateful he at least stopped to ask if she was fine; if this person had actually wanted to take advantage of her, they would've used the time she had been vulnerable to do so, yet, that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep an eye on him.

"I, uh, fell, an-and now I'm i-in p-pain," she said, inwardly flinching at her lie; Tati had always been a terrible liar, she just did not like the feel of it on her tongue. She felt like telling him that she didn't know how she got here, but woke up with indescribable pain, but she knew at the same time she could be considered insane for stating something like this.

"Where does it hurt the most, dear," he asked, concern slightly darkening his wise features.

"M-my back and m-my legs."

He reached his hands down and apologized, stating he had to move her clothes around to find possible wounds. Even terrified the girl understood, and slightly nodded her head; Tati forced herself to move to give him better access, hissing through her clenched teeth as her body shifted. She tried to breath calmly as he inspected her back and her legs, but had hard time doing so for the pressure in her chest was increasing by the passing moments, making tears prick her eyes as her lungs lacked more and more oxygen. It wasn't until another few seconds that Tati started gasping, her throat constricted, and as quick as lighting, the older man moved her to a better position that allow air to fill her lungs, but before she could thank him, or even guess what had happened, Tati was surrounded by shadows.

OOO

To say Gandalf was surprised when he found a wounded girl in the woods was an understatement. He had just been traveling through the wilderness, towards The Shire to search for a certain man named Bilbo Baggins, that he had always found adventurous that most hobbits at his youthful age, and hoped the now slightly older hobbit would still be interested in sharing this experience with him, and being their designated burglar. But then he came upon an intriguing girl, who looked as if she lived in a kingdom far, far from where Middle Earth, which was more than impossible.

At first he had been wary approaching her, for he knew how dangerous the forest could be, and how deceiving people could be. But then he saw the genuine terror in her eyes, and could almost feel how much pain she was in, and she proved to be sincere when he approached, for she watched him with cautious eyes, like he was more of a threat than her, which was true in some aspects. Then, he noticed the clothing she wore, and knew she must've stuck out like a sore thumb in any place/race of being she's ever visited. Instead of her of black tresses falling down her back like how most girls had it, it stopped a couple inches under her collar bone, and wasn't fixed with any braids or anything at all like most woman did; it was just plainly down with waves accentuating it.

Then there were her clothes, which were quite odd towards him. He rarely ever saw woman wearing trousers as strange as hers, or trousers in general, and wearing such a showing off, loose shirt that lacked sleeves except for two small straps on her shoulders, which was something that he had never seen before except on night clothes, but even those were considered scandalous.

She wasn't from around here, and that much was clearly obvious. She seemed more worried about her injuries and him than of the true danger of orcs, and other monstrous creatures. In fact, this black haired girl seemed more lost than anything else, like she didn't know how she got here, which could be the case. From the extent of her wounds, which weren't as major as being stabbed, they still could've caused enough damage to cause memory loss.

In truth, Gandalf wasn't sure what to think, but he knew in his right mind that he couldn't just leave the girl here, especially since he could tell she was in need of medical care.

The older man crouched down, grunting as he lifted up the girl. _I am getting too old for this,_ his thoughts grumbled grumpily, as he continued a new journey to the nearest town; Bree. He wasn't sure if there was much to do for her, except let the poor girl rest, for most of the damage consisted of large, dark bruises covering a huge amount of her body, especially on her back and legs. But when she started gasping, he realized one of the ribs might be fractured, and adding pressure to her lungs, hence the reason why she had passed out; from the lack of oxygen caused by the immobilization of her lungs.

Adjusting his grip, he moved forward, determination filling him as he continued onwards on his path, just hoping that the random girl in his arms would stay alive till he got a trained professional to heal her.

OOO

It seemed like forever until he reached Bree, and Gandalf could slowly feel his age catching up to him, which only happened rarely now a day. For the kind of person he was, these types of things weren't usually a daily basis.

When entering the town he was greeted by a large amount of judging stares and scowls, some were more focused on Gandalf, thinking he was the culprit for her injurious, though a majority of the men lingering their eyes upon her flesh, nearly drooling at the sight of her smooth fair skinned, and her more exposed body. It made Gandalf furious and have the sudden need to defend her honor, but altogether, her health was most important right now, so he ignored the lecherous stares, and quickly moved over to the physicians place, having been there before. He knew the man was actually a good man, compared to the rest of the town which seemed to be his counterpart, and he also knew the physician was also good at his job, it made Gandalf glad he had someone to trust in this shady place. But even as it was shady, he had to admit, the place was quite lively and usually not only consisted of humans, but an occasional dwarf and maybe a hobbit or two, adding diversity compared to all the other places you would come across.

"Jack, are you in," he asked, opening the door gingerly and with much struggle for the girl still laid in his arms, still unconscious. Gandalf looked around, finding the said man hunched over his table, working on making some kind of odd color elixir. It made the other man inwardly sigh, knowing his long time friend Jack was starting to let his age catch up to him. Since Jack is human, he aged faster than other races, and even as Gandalf didn't want to dwell on it, he knew at some point everyone die's and it was just a matter of time for Jack to do so too. Jack's hearing was now weaker than ever before, even weaker than the last time Gandalf had visited him, and he was becoming more forgetful now a day.

Trying not to focus on such a topic, the wizard quickly cleared his throat and made his voice a little louder, catching the ears of the other man. "Jack," Gandalf greeted shortly, smiling softly at his old friend.

"Ah, Gandalf, I didn't hear you come in. It's been a while old friend," Jack greeted back, smiling just as kindly. He quickly took in his friend's appearance, and noted the unconscious girl lying in his arms, making Jack frown. "What's this? Is she alright," he asked, putting on his speckles as he came over, increasingly worried about the unnamed girl. Jack had always been worried about any kind of harmed person who came in here; it was natural to do so.

"I found her in the woods, and though I talked to her, it was rather brief and she passed out," Gandalf answered in his gruff and aged voice, placing the girl upon the table for Jack to do his work.

"Let me see what I've got here," he answered back, looking over her injuries. He noted the dark bruises all over her body, mostly on her back, and saw that one of her ribs were messed up, pressing against one of her lungs, which was causing a lack of oxygen to reach her body especially when she was in certain body positions. And secretly, he noted in the back of his head, the scars which lay upon her forearms. They weren't too obvious for they didn't stick up dramatically like battle scars, yet, there were still there, and most likely permanent. From the angle of the slice, Jack could tell it was self inflicted, though he could only recall one other case where he had seen scars like these, but it was on man rather than woman who were still going through the trauma of accidental murder.

Even though Jack wanted to know desperately why she had those scars, he instead focused on helping her as much as he could. He pressed a hand against her starched forehead, shaking his head sadly. He really needed to get rid of that fever first.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for reading, please review/follow/favorite! I know the first chapter is kind of slow, but I promise the other one's will be more sped up!_

 _Random Fact_ _: The only thing Tati cares about is her pet cat._


	2. Chapter 2 Revelations

_A/N: So I just want to say that this story is sort of just a side story I will be working on when I have free time and am done working on my other stories so there will come times where I won't update for a long while. Sorry!_

 **Chapter Two**

 **Revelations**

The sun peaked through the slit of her eyes, blinding her for a couple mere seconds before she her hazel eyes adjusted to it, and Tati was fully awake. She recalled everything that happened before she succumbed to the darkness and felt herself panic. She wasn't sure why in the first place she had passed out, but she instantly feared sexual assault and started to struggle without a second thought. Tati cried out, pain spreading throughout her limbs. "Stop, it's making it worse," an elderly voice said kindly yet urgently, worry filing their voice. The black haired girl glanced up to find an older man, different from the one she had seen the woods that wore just as strange clothing as the latter one.

Now she was definitely confused.

"Who are you," she instantly asked, fear spiking in her orbs.

"I'm Jack, and you are, dear," he asked, using the same word as the other man had done. In fact, Jack reminded her much of the other man, for he too looked kind and wise.

"My name is Tati," she said quietly.

"Strange name, is it short for anything," he pondered, rubbing his beard slightly.

"Tatiana."

"Beautiful name, still strange, but beautiful. Why do you change it," he asked, intrigue lightening up his eyes. He was curious especially since she is of race of Man, a human, despite the fact that she's a dwarf's height, and she had the most unusual name for a human. But he had to admit, the ring to it was quite lovely, like music to his ears. It was rare for him to come across such unusual names.

"… C-could you please just tell me where I am?" She asked gingerly.

"Oh yes, that right. Currently you're in Bree; Gandalf the Grey brought you here, and I'm sure you've heard of him," Jack stated, maneuvering through his place to come to Tati's side. He noticed the extremely confused look on her face, making him worried that maybe she experienced some memory loss. "Do you feel any gaps in your memory," he asked, pressing a hand against her head to check if she still had a fever. He knew fevers could cause delusion and hallucinations, though the girl wasn't showing any symptoms of the sort.

"No I don't," Tati answered boldly, for she was now sure that no mind would ever make up such terrible fake memories as the one swarming in her mind.

"Then why do you look confused, haven't you ever heard of Bree? Or of at least Gandalf the Grey, he's the second most popular and well known of all the wizards. Surely his name strikes some cord with you," Jack asked, furrowing his eyebrows for he knew the wizard encountered many people throughout his travels, and knew a lot of other races of beings. Even the conservative elves of Mirkwood knew of Gandalf the Grey.

"What are you talking about? Wizards? Magic? Those things don't exist, and I have no idea where Bree is," Tati asked incredulous and in a rush, feeling more and more confused. She wondered if maybe this was dream, and is she was just in a coma, at the hospital, and right now all she was doing was dreaming. Maybe her mother was actually right next her, realizing how terrible she had been to Tati and begging like a dog for her to just open her eyes. But the fact that she was right here, and was fully aware as well as the pain apparent, she was having a harder time in believing that this was nothing more than a mere dream.

"Of course those exist," Jack chuckled, his eyes twinkling with humor. He thought Tati was being silly.

"No, they don't," Tati insisted softly, and it was only then did he notice she was being serious. She didn't believe in magic or wizards, which gave Jack the feeling that she didn't know of anything else that existed in their world. Whoever she was, she had definitely been secluded from the world for a very long time.

"What about elves, dwarfs, and orcs," he asked, curious of her answer.

"Those don't exist either, and I'm not even sure what an orc is," Tati answered truthfully, pondering the older man's mental health. _Why was he even as they incredulous questions?_ Her thoughts questioned as she furrowed her eyebrows.

Now Jack knew for sure there was something off with this situation, for everyone, every race had heard of the creatures of darkness, the only exception being the hobbits who lived peaceful lives away from all danger. He started to consider all possibilities. She could've been living with the hobbits for most of her life, but even they knew of Gandalf, magic, elves, and dwarves.

"Ah, so she is awake," a booming voice stated, causing the two in question to turn towards the voice, Tati finding the man she had met in the woods as the two were both ripped away from their earlier discussion. He was still dressed in his unusual garb, and looked to be glad that she was awake, smiling joyfully towards her. "My dear, I believe I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Gandalf the Grey, and you may be," he asked, walking towards her. It wasn't until then he noticed her height, finding it odd a human girl was about the size of a dwarf.

"I'm Tati," she said hesitantly and with stiffness, though she soon found herself calming down by his warm orbs. There was something about them that made her feel like she was safe, which was something she hadn't felt in a long time now.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but I am confused…" She trailed off, biting her pale rosy lip. She was desperately confused, and wanted answers.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Is Jack well? He was talking about wizards, and magic as well as elves, dwarves, and… orcs? He must not be feeling good if he believes in such things," Tati answered, looking far off into the distance, and not seeing the perplexed look that crossed his wise features. Gandalf turned to Jack and raised a questioningly eyebrow. Jack shrugged and motioned the wizard away from ear shot.

"I have no idea what's going on with her. She doesn't seem to remember or believe in that kind of things, and when I asked her if she felt any gaps in her memories, she seemed pretty confident that there was none. I'm not sure what is going on for she lacks a fever, and isn't showing any symptoms of a fever breaking out. I believe she just might be stressed, after all, you did find her in the wilderness, _alone._ The anxiety of that situation might've made her to believe, mentally, that all the bad things in this world don't exist," Jack answered, sending a sad look Tati's way. She did look stressed, but Gandalf had a sinking feeling that this wasn't reason as to why she doesn't know.

"Poor girl, all alone in the woods… No place for a girl like her. Yes, it could very well be from the stress," the physician continued while he shook his head in a pitying manner, oblivious to the thoughts that ran through the wizard's mind.

"Jack, I believe that I should speak to Tati alone," Gandalf answered back for he could feel the off feeling about all of this. There was something wrong in the air, and he was sure he wanted to figure it all out.

"Oh, course Gandalf, I'll just head out and find something that might help her bruises." Jack answered back, a smile on his face as he left the room, leaving the strange girl and the wizard alone.

Tati looked over at him, and then glanced back down at her lap, unsure of what to do. In all honesty, the black haired girl had always been socially awkward and found it hard to talk to people because most of the time, she had been unsure of what to say. It was partially the reason she kept to herself in high school and avoided making friends at all costs. But now she felt like she was facing a ultimatum for she knew if she didn't ask Gandalf, she would never get the answer she was seeking for, yet at the same time, Tati could feel the anxiety building up at the thought of making herself look stupid, or possibly crazy.

"Tati, do you remember anything about your life," Gandalf approached cautious, noting the look on her face; discomfort. She wasn't like most girls the gray wizard had met, but he greeted some who were Tati and felt discomfort with talking to strangers, or just being social in general.

"… I do," she answered back, rubbing the back of her neck in a bashful manner.

"Can you tell me what you remember, even if it sounds completely crazy," he asked, hoping that maybe they could get to bottom of this.

"I remember my name is Tati, and I am seventeen years old. I remember I had a mother and stepfather who I lived with, a-and I owned a cat named Luke. I remember I lived in the US, in particular, Georgia, and I went to a school called Hills High School. And the last thing I remember was I was waking up to go to school, and then suddenly I'm lying in the middle of nowhere." Tati answered, and it was only then she felt a surge of uncertainty fill her. If this wasn't a dream, if those things that only happened in movies and books actually happened to her, then the black haired girl wasn't sure which situation was worse. She was far away from the people who struck fear in her heart everyday and all day, yet, she's in a place where she knows nothing about.

Furrowing his brows, Gandalf hesitated, now knowing for sure that the girl before him wasn't from any place close by. For one, she had gone to school, which was rare for girls, but then the other words she added along with it were quite strange and unheard of. Finally, Gandalf decided to ask her the ultimate question. "Have you ever heard of Middle Earth?"

"No, obviously I've heard of Earth, but not _Middle_ Earth," she said softly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She had no idea what kind of impact her words were to the older man.

OOO

Gandalf felt as if he had been struck by lightning a thousand times over. This girl was definitely from another realm, and he knew that for sure after the sentence she had just uttered. He knew that there were other world of course, he just never thought he would see the day when a being from one of those other realms would come here, and by an unknown source as well.

Though the idea seemed farfetched to others, it made completely sense to the grey wizard for Tati was just too peculiar to be from this exact world. It was in these moments that Gandalf the Grey felt huge waves of sympathy for the girl, having an idea of just how hard it's going to be for her, for even Gandalf had no clue as to how to send her back to her own land. Tati seemed clueless of all of this, and he knew that not knowing can strike fear and be the cause of chaos.

"Dear," he hesitantly approached, though he knew she needed to know, he also knew just how hard to was going to be to grasp the concept for her. "I believe, as strange as it sound, that you may not be of this world; from another realm." Gandalf finished, watching with steady eyes as his words set in.

Tati's eyes watched his own for a second, emotions rushing through her hazel colored orbs, before finally, the shock and disbelief set in, and finally, she looked petrified; like as if she just saw a horde of orcs. "Bu-but that's impossible, right," she questioned with sadness in her voice, looking to be on the verge of tears, though she would not let them fall; she refused. She had already cried once in what seemed to be forever, but she will not allow it again if she could help it.

"Not entirely. You see, in difference to your world, ours have the existence of magic, me being a wizard myself. It wasn't long with magic did wizards discover the existence of other worlds, not just yours and mine. Though I haven't heard of anybody finding or even meeting people from other realms, I don't this the possibility it completely impractical. You either don't know or don't believe in the things that are known and heard of daily in our world, and the things you talk about from where you come from and quite peculiar and something that's a unheard of." He explained softly, feeling worry for the black haired girl in front of him.

It took merely a second for it all to sit in before Tati felt her heart being hammered down, like someone was to crush the last remaining bits of her soul. As much as she wanted to call this claim falsely, to tell this man that it was impossible and he was just losing his mind, she couldn't help but feel like all his points made perfect sense. The hazel eyed girl hated both drugs and alcohol, so the thought of her blacking out and ending up in the woods because of that wasn't something that would ever happen.

She saw strange things, and those two older men talked about even stranger things, and Tati had a feeling that if she left this room, right now, she would come across a world so diverse from her own.

Bowing her head towards her lap, Tati felt her heart seize in her chest.

"I believe you," she said suddenly, finding that there were no other words she felt like saying. She didn't want to tell the man how she felt about this, or how she refused to believe it, no matter how kind and warm he seemed to be, she decided she was going to keep it to herself, and instead, be grateful he had been the one who found her.

"Thank you, for helping me with this all," Tati stated softly, her eyes moving down to her lap. It was still a crushing thought to think about, to think about everything you ever knew was now all gone, and you have to relearn the world again.

Gandalf noticed her reaction and softly placed a hand on her arm, offering a touch of comfort, but when she flinched away he immediately let go just as soft. "You're welcome Tati, and I am sure that this is all hard for you. For now, rest up so that we can continue onward," Gandalf stated, giving her shoulder a short pat before he started to turn to leave.

"Wait! What do you mean continue on?" she asked, perplexed.

"Well you didn't think I was going to leave you behind so that you can suffer through the unknowns of the world, did you?" he asked.

"I…" the black haired trailed off, lost for words at the moment. She truthfully hadn't thought that far.

"No dear, I wouldn't. You see I have places to go, but I won't leave you behind to fend for yourself. You're a sweet girl Tati, I can tell, so you shouldn't fret; just get well and then we shall continue traveling," Gandalf finished, sending a small smile her way before he finally left. He had no idea just how much of impact his words had on Tati this time, for she had never had someone in her life who would've done anything remotely close as to what he had just done for her.

It wasn't long, for as Tati curled up on the bed, that she felt the overwhelming feeling of uncertainty rushed over her, and she realized that even if she was happy someone finally cared for her, she feared for the time when he too would leave her all by her lonesome self.

OOO

Dwalin was getting extremely peeved with it all; couldn't they just leave him alone? Today had been a normal day at the most, for he woke up and continued onto his journey to The Shire, where their meeting would commence. Though today hadn't turned out too great for when he passed through yet another town, he found a couple families dwarves taking residence there, who had been cheerful to great their own kind. But that wasn't the reason as to why he was mad.

Just like all the families of dwarves back home, this family was no different for they too tried to set him up with their daughter, which of course, irritated him to no end. Though she was a pretty dwarven lass to most, he found nothing interesting about her, even her looks, and was getting increasingly livid at all their tries to set them up.

He had simply only came through to pick some supplies for the next couple days before he reached The Shire, not to find a girl to marry; he could honestly care less. So when he left, he made it _very_ clear about how he felt in regards to their nagging, and left them there, not paying any mind to all the names they called him back in Khuzdûl as he stormed away.

It seemed everywhere he went more and more dwarves were trying to be set up with him, which made him more and more angry.

Scrubbing hand over his face, he watched the fire steadily, with hopes that they will be able to reclaim their fallen home, yet for some reason, he had a feeling deep within that there was going to be more about this journey than what meets the eye.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for all the favs/follows, I honestly didn't think I would get this many!:3_

 _To Angel.01Phoenix: Thank you so very much for reviewing and thank you for the compliment!_


	3. Chapter 3 The Good With the Bad

**Chapter Three**

 **The Good with the Bad**

Tati was finally healing, the large masses of bruises vanishing through the passing days, almost as if they hadn't been there in the first place, however, she was only healing physically. Her mind was still going back and forth, trying to comprehend everything that she was going through, and for that she was absolutely miserable most of the time. She found it hard to get out of bed, her hunger depleted, she only ever did was drink water, and at times when the grey wizard and the physician tried to converse with her, the conversation would quickly come to a stop. It had been like that back in her own world, but she had felt better around the two older men, which didn't make sense as to why she gave them such short and simple answers. She would lay awake at night, wondering if tomorrow she was going to wake up, and she would no longer be in the world she is in now, or if she would still be here; she _still_ couldn't decide which option was worse, but she found herself liking Middle Earth little by little. Yet, she feared the day when she would have to leave with Gandalf, and she would finally see the true terrors which this world held.

Gandalf wasn't a fool, and neither was Jack; they too noticed the changes within the black haired girl, and knew she was having troubles coping with the reality, though Jack just thought it was because of her forgotten memories. Being a physician, and a kind man, he worried dearly for Tati, and felt this overwhelming urge to ask her about her scars which were littered on her arm, yet he held his tongue, for he could tell that she was still mentally weakened, and Jack was afraid of making the situation worse. And it wasn't until a couple days had passed did the older man finally tell the gray haired wizard of what he saw, for at first he hadn't been sure if it was his place to say; he loathed gossip as much as any common person loathed the gruesome orcs.

The scar situation also stumped Gandalf, for he could tell her life back home hadn't been a normal nor kind one, and yet, she was such a kind, sweet hearted girl, it confused him as to why someone, or maybe even herself, would commit such a thing. He also wondered that if she had done this to herself, is she knew of the important veins in her wrist, which was why they were also on there too. He knew at some point he had to confront her about it, fearing that if he hesitated too long it would be too late, but for now he held his tongue. He felt like it wasn't his place to say anything, but he wasn't someone to let another suffer. He _will_ help her.

OOO

Finally, the girl had healed up enough to travel, and so, she and Gandalf were getting ready to leave to this unknown gathering place, one Gandalf told her he wanted to surprise her, so he refused to tell her the name or the location; in his mind, he was quite confident that she would end up liking The Shire. Though Tati would admit, she felt nervous about it all, she was also interested in what this world held in store. But like any other normal person, she feared for all the things unknown to her, nto knowing anything, for back in her own world, the only monsters that had existed was human beings themselves, but now, she wondered if there were literal _monsters_ here.

"Tati, I bought you some clothes to travel in; your old ones were unsuitable for travel. Besides these will keep you warm when the weather is harsh, and is used with much stronger material, so it's more durable." Jack said, in a motherly tone, placing the extras in the bag strapped to her pony. He felt a close bond to the black haired girl, as he did with most of patients, but this time the older man found himself drifting towards her, always seemingly concerned. And yet, he had a right to be. Tati is a soft hearted girl, who is also soft spoken and has no fight in her whatsoever. He had outright told Gandalf that she shouldn't be going on that quest of his, but Gandalf insisted to the point where fury was starting to show on his usual calm demeanor. Jack knew it was best for Tati to "relearn" the world, but at the same time, the thought of orc's made him inwardly wince.

"Thank you Jack, and thank you for everything. I appreciate all you've done for me," she answered in that soft voice of hers, giving him a small smile which seemed to lighten up her tired features. Surprisingly, her honey-like voice reached his old ears; it was soothing to say the least.

"No need to thank me, you deserve to live Tati, just… make sure you visit me again, alright," he commanded more than asked, placing a wrinkled hand on her dainty shoulder. In truth, he was going to miss the company, of both her and Gandalf the Grey, and since he didn't know how much the wizard had told Tati about where they were going, and where they going to go after that, he decided just to make her promise to visit him again, his subtle way of telling her to survive this quest. He didn't know the details, just that it involved dwarves and that it was going to be quite dangerous; anything remotely dangerous needed to stay as far away from Tati in his opinion.

"Okay, I will," she promised, not knowing the full intent behind his words. She placed her pale skinned hand timidly on the pony next to her, only relaxing when she realized that the pony was fine with her hand. Glancing back at the older man, the black haired girl smiled softly once more wanting to ease Jack for to her, he looked on edge, like someone had just told him to jump off the cliff for it was the only way to get down.

"You and Gandalf have been too kind to me," Tati stated more to herself than to Jack, but he had still heard it.

"Nonsense; I know you haven't gotten your memories back, but Gandalf and I have been treating you like how you respectively deserve to be treated. I know the race of Man aren't always too kind to their females, but I know the dwarves are quite kind to their woman for they are rare among their race. But well, not all Men are bad…" Jack rambled off.

"How will I repay you," She asked, though her voice indicated hesitance. She trusted Jack, but that didn't mean she wasn't still wary of any man who crossed her path, courtesy of her own stepfather. But she did feel the need to pay him back in some way for all the compassion he bestowed on her.

When he noted her hesitation, he decided to grab her hands softly, and in a friendly manner, giving her a crooked grin. "Just visit me again, that will be enough," he said joyfully, trying to brighten the dim mood.

"We should get going now; we need to cover as much ground as possible before it starts getting dark. If it gets too dark we will have to make camp in the middle of the woods," Gandalf stated, helping Tati with the last of her bags. The older wizard put his own things on his horse tightening the straps before he turned towards Jack, smiling at his old friend. "Thank you for all your help," he said, giving the man a brief hug. "I shall see you again old friend."

Peeking a glance over at Tati, Jack saw her checking through her bags, oblivious to their conversation, just like he wanted.

"I don't know how your journey will fair; just… bring her back, alright? She doesn't deserve to get in between the cross hairs of your _important_ quest," Jack stated seriously.

"Of course, I was planning on protecting her myself, however, I am wary about taking her on it," Gandalf admitted, glancing over at her for a second.

"If you are wary then how about you just keep her here, with me. It could end up being better fate than the one you plan on her having," the other man responded, furrowing his eyebrows. After all these years, Gandalf still perplexed with his ways at times.

"She needs to experience the world again, and I believe this might be beneficial to her, bring her out of her shell. Besides, I have a feeling she might be quite the companion on this journey," the wizard answered, not exactly answering Jack's question. "Worry not old friend, I know you are starting to care for her, and so have I; I will protect her to the best of my ability."

The physician nodded, though he still didn't understand, and still was concerned.

"Are you ready my dear," Gandalf asked, turning to his female companion, finding her petting her lovely black pony in a comforting manner. Tati seemed to have a way with animals.

"Yes I am. Jack, once again thank you and I shall see you again, I swear." She swore with a small smile his way. The hazel eyed girl had no idea just how much she promised him, and he knew deep down she wouldn't be saying it so casually if she knew what was in store, but it did make him feel a tiny bit better that Tati was actually going to try and make it back to him.

After the final goodbye, Gandalf helped Tati on the pony, mostly because she still had some bruising on her legs, and plopped onto his own horse, nodding to Jack one last time before the two trotted off, oblivious to the sadness and deep concern that crept onto the older man's face.

OOO

Gandalf may act oblivious at times, but he was usually never oblivious to his surroundings, and he knew of the sadness lingering upon Tati's soft features. She seemed a bit lost, now far away from the thing she had gotten used to, and now she would be forced to experience all new things with only the grey wizard as her rock, keeping her stable.

"Don't worry dear, you will see him again, I am sure of it," Gandalf grumbled lightly, trying to ease the tenseness in the air. The black haired girl glanced up at him, cocking her head to the side in a questioning manner. "I know you are worried about him, and I know you're also very nervous about leaving the only place you knew, but it will get better. It may take some time, but eventually you will learn about the new world, the good things with the bad things. Jack won't be going anywhere, he'll be right there once this is over," he said, knowing it was something she needed to hear; that everything will get better over time.

"I-I get that I have to learn, I mean, I don't know if I will ever get back home… but I'm just so nervous," she admitted hesitantly, flinched as her eyes scattered away. Even as close as Tati was becoming to the wise grey wizard, she had always been used to bottling up her feelings and her thoughts, and it was hard to break habit now. There was so much more she wanted to say, yet, she bit her tongue.

Nodding, Gandalf turned his eyes back onto the road. "You understand well, which is quite admirable about you. You seem to be handling this better than most, and it's completely natural to be nervous about it all. Just make sure to remember that you aren't alone in this," Gandalf stated, glancing over and watching as she nodded in return.

There was a pregnant pause, before Tati interrupted, curiosity peeking in her beautiful eyes, which was a better sight than when it had been filled with despair.

"So, where are we heading," she asked, making the air around them, but only slightly. Gandalf froze, not wanting to give away the location and its name quite yet. Even though she knew nothing of this world, he wanted to show it to her more than say it, thinking she would get a better impression of the wonderful Shire that way.

"It's a surprise, didn't I already tell you this before," he asked, with a teasing smile.

"Well, yes," Tati answered gingerly.

"It's quite alright, no need to be wary."

"Is… um, is the place where we are going, a nice place," Tati asked, finding her awkwardness again. She had always been like this, and it seemed like it came back again.

"Hmm… It is quite a great place actually, I think you'll enjoy it as your first learning experience," he answered. Tati nodded, hoping it was actually as good as it sounded.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Sorry, a little short, I know. Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/follows!_

 _To Angel.01Phoenix:_ _Thank you I hope you'll enjoy this update._

 _To sarah0406:_ _Now that you've said that, I realized just how funny that would be; gruff Dwalin avoiding this annoying family:3_

 _To Guest:_ _Thank you!_

 _To Dhalmi93:_ _I hope you enjoy this chapter._


	4. Chapter 4 Small Moments

**Chapter Four**

 **Small Moments**

Tati's heart lurched in her chest, her breath hitching, the graceful hazel orbs widening as she took in the marvelous view. Nature untouched by depraved human hands, happy-go-lucky people everywhere, looking like the kind of people who didn't care what others thought; who didn't care for outer appearances. Vast fields of crops everywhere, beautiful blossoms decorating the outside of every home. The girl went into a trance at the wonderful sight, knowing that back in her old world, these kind of people, this kind of land, would be called foolish and childish, and the government or money grabbers would easily destroy all of this perfect view, and replace it with roads and buildings; corrupt it.

To see this made Tati wonder why she never took the time to enjoy nature; it had always been there, but she guessed the cities and society had become too entranced by technology, and became too materialistic that nature wasn't anything fascinating or beautiful. Heck, they bought flowers from stores as if they didn't grow around them, as if you couldn't go out and find a wild patch growing in the woods.

It made her almost ashamed of herself, but the black haired girl didn't get much time to dwell on it, for Gandalf started to moving ahead.

"I know the Shire is quite the sight, but we'll have time later to see everything. For now, we have a certain someone to see." Gandalf called over his shoulder, a knowing smile splayed on his face. He remembered his first time seeing the place which had been a _very_ long time ago. He remembered just how entranced he was at how pure this place was; from the people to the land, everything was pure, and untouched by any sort of darkness whatsoever.

"If-if I may ask, Gandalf, who exactly are those people? The people in Bree looked human, and well, they sort of look human," Tati asked, glancing at the people passing by her pony's legs, not sure what to think of her abnormally large feet covered in hair. She wasn't really disgusted, as most people would be seeing a hobbit the first time, but she more curious. Tati had heard of elves and dwarves, of wizards and of course her kind, man. But she had never heard of a creature like them.

"Ah, these friendly fellows are called hobbits. They are quite the kind and cheery folks; peaceful. They tend to have a lot of festivals for they are quite light-hearted and do enjoy having a good time. They're known to be even shorter than dwarves, and have large feet, which surprisingly to some people, makes them light on their toes. However, the hobbit we are going to meet is not exactly like the others; he had always been different, even from a very young age. I just hope he hasn't changed too much from the last time I saw him." Gandalf pondered to himself.

"What's his name, the man we are meeting," she asked, silently proud at herself for not stumbling over her words. Even after spending much time with the older man, she still felt awkward speaking to him; she felt that way with everyone truth be told,

"His name is Bilbo Baggins, of Bag End."

After that, they fell into a peaceful, comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the merry hobbits moving about, sparing greetings towards the grey wizard. Most remembered him as the wizard who always made those amazing fireworks, which always seemed to appall them every time they see the colorful view. Some glanced over to the black haired girl, giving her a kind smile, unsure of what to do, for she had rarely ever had someone who would do that for her, she smiled gingerly back, inwardly flinching.

 _A sickening smile playing on his lips, as his slimy tongue running over it, eying her like a predator that caught sight of its prey; she was nothing more than a piece of meat, only there to fulfill his never ending hunger. His hands treacherous reaching out, ready to grab her; to touch her, to violate her-_ Tati suddenly shook her head violently, pushing the flashback away as her heart continued to pound erratically against the frames of her chest. They were only memories; nothing more, nothing less, but even as she tried to remind herself that, it didn't stop the pit the in her stomach from growing.

Tati's hazel eyes jumped up, noting that Gandalf seemed oblivious to her small, and inward freak out, making her feel ten times more better. He's a kind man, who seems to have a lot on his plate; he didn't need another thing to worry about.

 _Just breathe, that's all you need to do; breathe and relax, remember? You're far from him now, and you need to make it up to Gandalf, that's all that matters now,_ her thoughts echoed through her head as she forced her mind to drift to other things, even as it lingered in the dark depths of her minds; the distorted parts of her mind that would haunt her through the darkness of the night. She just wished her demons would just leave her alone.

OOO

They rode for a few more minutes, keeping up the pleasant and agreeable silence that had washed over them. It was nice to them both, the duo used to being by themselves, and so they welcomed it with open arms.

"We're here," Gandalf said aloud after the time had passed, saying it softly enough that only she could hear. He gracefully slid off of his rather large horse, watching the black haired girl out of the corner of his eyes to make sure she was getting along okay, just before he tied the reins to a fence, discreetly watching her do the same. He knew there was still some aftermath from the bruises that had healed, and she wasn't fully in good health, and her strength needed to be brought back.

Placing a hand on her back in a comforting manner, he gave her a soft smile as he led her towards the hobbit home, ready to face the hobbit he hadn't seen in years. He hoped that the now older Bilbo Baggins was the same as the youngest he knew; the one who was always all ears for a good tale of an adventure or something along those lines, the one who was always looking to have an adventure too. Even though hobbits were less judgmental compared to the other races, they too had their own thoughts and beliefs, and Gandalf remembered distinctly how Bilbo had always been labeled "odd" by the others.

Tati glanced around as she was being led to Bilbo's home, taking in the scenery one last time before her mind switched gears to the current mission. She then found herself standing in front of a middle-aged looking hobbit, who she guessed to be the Bilbo Baggins that Gandalf had been talking so fondly of. He looked relaxed, smoking out of pipe as he sat comfortably on a chair, though, the second her eyes caught sight of the device in his hand, she frowned. Tati had never liked drugs, and had never liked smoking, but she had feeling that it was just as common here as it was at home so she shoved away the distasteful thoughts and forced a smile his way. She was never one to judge a book by its cover, and hadn't ever hated someone because they smoked.

"Oh, good day," the hobbit greeted pleasantly, sending his own smile their way, his eyes seemingly lightening up when he caught sight of the smaller girl next to the grey haired wizard.

"Indeed. A great day is it," Gandalf agreed, but didn't move from his spot, watching the hobbit with calculating eyes. The hobbit in return shifted uneasily in his seat, expecting the taller and strange man to leave after their simple greeting, but the man indeed stayed rooted to his spot, watching him in almost a creepy manner.

"I-I beg your pardon but, do I know the two of you," he then asked, clearly confused.

"I am Gandalf the Grey, the grey wizard, and this it Tati, but you wouldn't know of her," Gandalf introduced in a loud, booming, and confident voice as he gave the hobbit a smile. However, the girl next to him gave a timid wave, giving a wry smile. She could practically feel the nerves jumping and bouncing off the walls internally, making her a bit jitterier than before; she's an introvert, she's never been good with meeting other people.

"Gandalf the Grey…" the hobbit thought for a second, until his eyes light up with recognition. "Ah, you're the wizard that makes those splendid fireworks every year. I must say, I am a fan of your work." He complimented, not noticing how the older man's face fell, realizing dryly that he had only been recognized because of his fireworks, not who he is.

Focusing on the task, he wiped off the crestfallen look and continued on as if nothing happened; ignoring the confused look Tati was giving him. "Yes, well, thank you. I am here, Bilbo Baggins, because I am searching for someone to share an adventure with," he stated.

"I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong person… wait, how do you know my name," Bilbo asked, his eyes cautious, his eyebrows furrowed. He was sure he had never met the grey wizard in person, but the way the older man seemed to speak of him so casually made him rethink.

"Well, your name is Bilbo Baggins, and you are of Bag End are you not? I used to visit you when you were merely a boy, eyes wide with wonder, always wanting to run off to fight ghastly creatures. You had always been looking for an adventure, and now, I present you with an opportunity to experience one of your own," he explained in a godly manner.

"I'm sorry, uh, mister, but I believe you got the wrong hobbit. That young hobbit you talked about died a while ago, along with his silly fantasies," Bilbo said with a hard voice, one that sounded like he was trying to prove to himself that he no longer pinned for a journey, a chance to experience the world outside of Hobbiton, just like he did as a youngster. "No one here is interested. Good-good day," he said abruptly, leaving the two outside. Normally he would never act that way to anybody, but bringing up past memories hit a sore spot within his small, yet, mighty soul.

Sighing, the older man ran a hand along his beard as he watched Bilbo make his way inside his home, sadly realizing that the hobbit he wished lived here no longer saw the light of day; at least, he hasn't seen it in a while. The grey wizard saw a hint of the former adventurous hobbit residing in his eyes; he just needed to be brought out, to be finally embraced after all these years.

Turning to the black haired girl next to him, an idea sprung in his head, and though he felt guilty for putting the girl in such a situation, he knew it was also a good plan, one that could help both the hobbit and Tati; she needed another person to talk to, someone who could bring her more out of the shell that hardened around her soul.

"It seems Bilbo is no longer the hobbit I once knew." Gandalf ponder aloud, before he shifted his attention back onto Tati as she stared up at him with worry filled eyes.

"Now w-what? Wasn't he important for the journey," she asked, concern lacing the light of her eyes.

"Don't fret my dear, it will be fine; his position in the quest we are about to go on was more for himself rather than for the actual quest, but we must keep that between each other, alright?"

"I understand. Maybe he just needs some words of encouragement," Tati offered softly, giving him a small, yet sad, smile. She understood Bilbo's fear, for she too felt it in her own being, for she didn't know how dangerous it would be, however, she did feel a bit determined, all thanks to the older man right next to her. He was the reason as to why she didn't fight about the subject; she felt as if she owed to him, because he could've left her to fend for herself in that forest, yet, he didn't. Bilbo didn't have a specific reason, or a person, to make him determined to go; he had more of a right to stay back than she did.

"I believe that's exactly what he needs, Tati… I am also very sorry to do this to you my dear, but I must leave you for a little while for some business I have to attend, and so I'll be leaving you with Bilbo; it will be safer for you. Maybe you can make him rethink his decision," the wizard offered, hating how a sting of guilt went through him for his lie; it felt like venom on his tongue. He knew how much Tati had troubles talking to anybody in general, the only reason she had gotten close to both himself and Jack was because the two older men were more observant that other people. They saw a timid, scared girl, who holds a heart of gold in her body, she just doesn't let it out; they see a survivor whose demons still come to haunt her every now and again. However, in everyone else's eyes she is nothing more than a weak girl, and that was exactly how they treated her.

"A-are you sure you have to go," Tati asked breaking Gandalf from his thoughts as her gaze dropped to the tips of her feet, like they were the most interesting thing in the world. The thought of simply socializing made her stomach lurch, and anxiety to build up in the pit of her stomach. Though she would never tell the grey haired wizard, for she knew how he would react, she felt as if she was nothing more than a burden at the moment. _Just like how they all thought of me,_ her thoughts reminded. When Tati realized what she had been thinking, her hazel eyes widened before she shifted her focus back on Gandalf, refusing to let the thoughts chew at her for the moment.

"I'm afraid so, but don't worry, I'll be later this evening." Gandalf answered in a kindly manner, pressing a soothing hand to her shoulder.

"… Very w-well, I shall be waiting for you here, after you get done… whatever you have to get done. But will Bilbo allow for me to stay," Tati asked in her usual soft voice, rubbing her arm with uneasiness.

"Of course he will. He may have been angry earlier, but Bilbo has never been one to not help others; he has always been kind like that. I'm sure if you would explain he will understand," and those were his parting words before the tall wizard slid back onto his horse, sending one last smile her way as he trying to cover up the guilt eating at him for leaving her alone. He rode off without another word.

OOO

 _Just do it already,_ she commanded herself, though it seemed all in vain for she stayed rooted in her spot, her anxiety bubbling in the depths of torso. Tati knew she must look creepy, standing at the outside of the door, with no indication of knocking, yet, she couldn't find it in herself to do so because for some reason she always found it hard to talk to strangers, which was why she never participated in door-to-door fund raisers.

 _Just do it!_ Her mind practically screamed, obviously loathing how much she lingered and hesitated, it was something simple, something people did every day, and yet to her it felt like she was running into a battle field. _I've been standing here for a good twenty minutes; I should just push up all my courage and do it. I mean, it's just knocking, it can't be too hard; it'll be fine once it's all over._

Without another thought the black haired girl quickly rapped her knuckles against the wooden door, feeling her heart skip for a second, until it cooled down, allowing her to release a sigh.

The then door opened, revealing the hobbit once more who looked more confused rather than angry, unlike before. He seemed to instantly recognize Tati, though as he looked around for the certain man who only minutes ago stood by her side, he found himself relived that he only saw her. "Um, could I help you Miss Tati," he asked, not noticing the quick flash of surprise that overcame her soft features when she found he remembered her name. She remembered in school how she would end having to introduce herself nearly every day, for even the teachers disregarded her name. Those who did recall it always called her Tatiana, no matter how many times she said she went by Tati.

"U-u-um, well, y-you see Mr. Baggins, G-gandalf had some things to take care of alone. S-so I was wondering i-if I could maybe stay w-with you until he gets back," she asked, wincing near the end. The way she reacted was almost like she was expecting to be hit for merely suggesting something like that, which made Bilbo frown for a second before he offered her a kind smile. And even though she didn't know, he was secretly relishing in the smoothness and gracefulness of her voice, like milk and honey. It was soft and kind; something great to hear especially compared to the other female hobbit's voices, who which were always loud and seemed to be always happy.

"Why of course you can Miss Tati. C'mon in," he said, gesturing for her to walk inside. "And you don't have to call Mr. Baggins, just call me Bilbo." He then said, trying to get her more comfortable, less formal. Bilbo couldn't help but notice how stiff her shoulders were, and how she rubbed at her upper arm in an obvious action of discomfort and anxiety.

"Pl-please, call me Tati," she answered, sticking her hand out politely, which the hobbit gladly accepted, liking how polite and considerate this girl is. He soon found her presence welcoming and soothing; Bilbo quite liked this girl.

OOO

Dwalin huffed to himself, annoyance shinning in his steely orbs. The dwarf listened as his stomach growled for what seemed like the millionth time this evening. He was famished to put it simply, and being a dwarf of his size, he needed to eat more than others, which meant his last meal didn't cut it. He found himself anxious to find the meeting place, for he remembered there was a promise that there would be food there; just what he needed. He was sure the others would be hungry as well.

And even though he would never show it through his hard exterior, he felt relieved when he caught sight of a dark mark on one of the doors, indicating he had finally made it, and it was now time to eat and rest after traveling for days on end; it had been a while since he had done this much traveling, but he was never one to complain when he knew what the goal was; it was all worth it to him.

Without a second thought, Dwalin walked straight up to the hobbit home and knocked roughly, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for the hobbit to answer. It was then he once again felt an overwhelming wave surge over him, giving him the burning feeling in his chest again. He had felt it a couple times when he had been just outside of the Shire, and while he had been in it too. It didn't really hurt per say, but it just felt _strange_. He wondered if it had anything to do with the quest, but doubted it; the only thing he felt for the quest was the determination to take back their home.

Brushing it off, Dwalin watched as the door creaked open, revealing a middle aged hobbit who looked dreadfully confused as to why he was here, but to be honest, the dwarf could care less.

"Oh um, hello," the hobbit greeted hesitantly, his eye brows furrowed.

"Dwalin, at your service," he answered gruffly, bowing quickly to the hobbit.

"Ah, Bilbo, at… yours? I'm sorry, do I know you," the hobbit, Bilbo then, asked, rubbing the back of his neck; he it was clear he didn't know what to do. It was also obvious he knew nothing as to why the dwarf was here, though the burly male didn't pay too much mind to it; he never really paid much mind to anyone outside of his kin.

"No," Dwalin answered shortly in return, shoving his way inside rather roughly. He then plopped his weapons down, oblivious to the small gasps of surprise at his abrupt behavior from the certain hobbit. "Where is it laddie, he said that there would be some here, and lots of it."

"What?"

"Food, where's the food?" he then asked, trying to keep the irritation from gleaming in his eyes. He's hungry, and tired, he couldn't deal with this right now.

"U-uh, w-well-" Bilbo started to answered in a cautious voice, until another voice interrupted him, causing Dwalin's attention to shift towards the source.

"What's going on here," a smooth, velvety voice asked, sounding as if it was made of the softest silk, which caused Dwalin to involuntarily stiffen, his eyes widening at the sight subconsciously.

It was at that moment, he saw _her_.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for reading/following/favors/reviewing! Please excuse any grammar errors!_

 _To Guest_ _: Thank you._

 _To rosmund chadwick (Guest)_ _: Thank you so much, and please enjoy this chapter!_

 _To angel897:_ _Thank you very much._

 _Random Fact_ _: Tati was originally planned to be in a love triangle between Bofur and Kili, but I absolutely love Dwalin, and wished there was more of those kinds of fanfics out, and so I wrote it that way. Besides, Tati (with being who she is) would've been a way better match for Dwalin compared to the others._


	5. Chapter 5 Her Presence is Everlasting

**Chapter Five**

 **Her Presence is Everlasting**

To other people, she wouldn't be considered gorgeous. Maybe cute, or even pretty, but not strong words like gorgeous, or beautiful, stunning, etc. However, to Dwalin, she had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever set his sights on, which strangely made his heart beat faster, drumming against his covered chest. He had never had this reaction before, never felt this intensity quivering in his veins before; this brought a whole new sensation to him. And he couldn't decide whether it was a good one or a bad one.

The girl before him stood probably only an inch shorter him, which was unusual considering she was no dwarf; he knew that from the lack of meat on her bones and the absence of a beard, or the growing of one. Her silky, jet black hair laid elegantly on her shoulders, stopping only a couple inches underneath the collarbone. Her eyes looked to be slightly green from far away, but when his legs moved closer on their own accord, his mind still stuck in a trance, he saw her eyes were actually adorning a hazel color, a lovely companion to her dark tresses. Then his steely eyes ran over her fair skinned body (not in a leering way) that held this almost exotic feel to it, considering most of the girls he's seen all had skin kissed by the sun, mostly from working in the sun, or being born with it naturally.

"U-umm, h-hi," the silky voice stuttered with much cautiousness and hesitance lingering, belonging to the unnamed girl in front of him. It snapped straight out of his trance, breaking away from his previous thoughts. His heart skipped a beat, unintentionally of course, which was another strange reaction he had never felt before, except for two other times. It was time when they had lost their home to a dragon, and when they had met on battlefield against the treacherous creatures known as orcs. Yet, those times felt different to him, held a different meaning to the same reaction he had now, staring at this strange and mysterious girl before him. He didn't know what he was feeling instead, but didn't dwell on it; he was never one with feelings or emotions.

"Dwalin," he stated after he cleared his throat slightly, his voice sounding neutral despite the war he felt inside his head. "At your service milady." Dwalin then bowed.

"U-um T-tati, a pleasur-re Mr. Dwalin," she greeted back in her same small voice, and it was then he noticed that she was actually slightly _afraid_. In those hazel colored orbs of hers held this cautiousness and fearful gaze that made Dwalin feel like ice running through his veins; he found himself unsettled by the gaze in her eyes, but quickly shoved it away with slight anger filling his core; he was confused, and that made him mad more than anyhthing. _Why am I caring about the lass, I barely know her. Besides he probably is that hobbit's wife, or fiancé, it should be him worrying about her._ He scolded himself before he glanced back up at the black haired girl, Tati, who looked extremely nervous, and didn't even raise her sight enough to look him in the eye. A sign of submissive personality, one found rarely in anybody now a day, except for a couple special cases; even the woman were now more stoned hearted due to orcs and other people/creatures of darkness running around the area.

Whilst he stared at her, the thoughts pouring through his head, he didn't notice how uncomfortable Tati had become; shifting from one leg to another in hopes that soon she could be excused from this confrontation. Dwalin's eyes didn't stare at her with any lecherous intent, for that she was glad of, but just the fact that he stared at her for minutes now, not saying a word made her uneasy. The black haired girl pondered, distinctly, of what he was thinking, but she didn't have to nerve to ask.

"Well I was having this for dinner… but I guess you can have it," Bilbo spoke up, feeling a bit awkward after watching the two encounter, completely forgetting about the other presence in the room not even four feet away. The hobbit also noticed how fraught the girl had become, and came to her rescue, rather having him feel the awkwardness than the girl who was obviously uneasy and not good around new people. It had taken him a whole two hours of talking to her nearly non-stop just for her to stop stuttering at each and every sentence, and Bilbo had a feeling that was a major improvement for her.

Dwalin grunted as he shifted his eyes back to the owner of the home, and forced his focus away from Tati, and onto the two plates of cooked fish on the table; one meant for Bilbo, and the other one being meant for Tati. "Now that's more like it," he grumbled, his voice sounding a bit lighter, especially since it was forced. He couldn't cause this choking feeling in this throat to vanish away; it clung to him like a leech. And every time his eyes caught her own hazel ones, as he sat in the chair and ate away, the burning feeling in his chest returned; the exact one he had felt when he been a mile outside of the Shire, and the one he had felt walking in the town as well.

Dwalin didn't understand it at first, which made him easily frustrated, but in due time, he would learn what it meant, and then everything would come into the light.

OOO

Another knock sounded at the door, causing both the hobbit and the small girl to frown, sending each other confused gazes; _another_ visitor. Tati didn't know what was going on, especially since Gandalf had decided to leave out the quite a lot of details of their quest, only simply saying that they would be going on one. Bilbo is in the dark about a lot of things as well, and both of them weren't too please at the unexpected visits.

"I'll go check-k on Mr. Dwalin," She announced speedily, turning on her heel and leaving the room, oblivious to the sigh Bilbo let out, as well as the frustrated look crossing his features. It had taken him so long (surprising, talking for nearly two hours straight was quite a chore for someone who didn't socialize much with other people), and so much dedication to get the girl to talk without stuttering, and from the rude and unexpected visit from the dwarf in the other room caused her to turn back to old habits.

"M-mr. Dwalin-n, I j-just want-ted to see if y-you're doing fine," Tati stated with an unsure voice, standing nervously in front of the gruff looking dwarf, who had just finished a plate of fish; he gave her a strange look when he saw she wasn't looking directly at him, but when she finally forced her gaze up to be more polite, it was then that the air between the two felt as if fireworks had just erupted. When they had caught eyes he once more felt his heart leap in his chest, but ignored it again, rather irritated that he, again, couldn't understand this unusual feeling.

"Hm, I'm fine. Is that all you have," Dwalin asked his stomach still needy for more.

"Um, well, you c-can have my d-dinner. I'm-m not t-that h-hungry anyways," she said softly, pushing that plate of fish meant for herself over to the dwarf, giving him a forced smile as if to soothe his decision.

Without intending to cause her to wince, though she still did, he narrowed his eyes at her, or rather, at her offering. "You barely have a scrap of meat of your bones. Eat up, I'll go find something else," Dwalin commanded, and without giving a second thought as to what he was doing, he grabbed her by the shoulders and plopped her down in a chair, the one that was right in front of the plate of fish. He wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but he didn't really care for he agreed with the reaction. Tati is very small, that was something a lot of people could agree on, even one for a dwarf; she looked as if someone who couldn't afford to skip a meal, not even once.

The dwarf watched for a second, as she opened her mouth to speak, most likely to retort against this action. But he quickly spoke before she could start her stuttering again. "Quiet… Just eat up," he said shortly and with a voice that obviously told her that there was no room for argument, and just like that, Dwalin left the room in lightning speed, not daring to look back at her face. _What is wrong with me, I'm acting like such a idiot. I must be just hungry and off from the traveling, nothing more._

OOO

In only a matter of an hour, dwarves of all kinds and looks started filling up the poor hobbit's home, the hobbit himself having a horrid time. He ran throughout his entire house, yelling and scolding them all for destruction of his home, clear irritation and anger lingering in his eyes. The only thing that put his mind to rest, was knowing that Tati was away from them all. Away from all the chaos that would more than likely cause her to be more uncomfortable that she already is.

After a certain dwarf named Balin had arrived, Bilbo had watched as she had left and hid away his room, not without asking him first of course, something he adored of her for doing. She's very considerate that way, more considerate than most of the people Bilbo had met.

Though he was unpleased that he found the dinner the two had made together, the plate that had been meant for her, still waiting out there, untouched, yet, he forgot it all when he saw someone using his mothers doily as a napkin.

Knowing the hazel eyed girl for as small of time as he had, he already knew that the boisterous behavior the dwarves seemed to have would've put her at unease. She'd probably be flinching and twitching all the time, and so it was better that she was now far from them, or at least, not in their company. However, that wasn't the only thing he noticed. Bilbo also saw how the first dwarf to entire his dwelling, Dwalin, seemed to be searching for her absentmindedly, his eyes roaming over every person who walked by, but still not finding the girl he was looking for (nobody but him and Balin seemed to notice, the older dwarf just had a better way of hiding it). But it was his business, not any of the hobbit's; Bilbo never said anything, for he didn't want Tati to be brought out here amidst all of this ruckus.

Then came the same nauseating sound of the door being knocked on, causing Bilbo to let out a furious growl, fuming as he stomped over to door. "No! No more dwarves are allowed!" he yelled, right as he opened the door, revealing someone other than a dwarf; this was a great relief to Bilbo. "Gandalf! I am so glad you are here. All these dwarves are in my _house_!" he exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice. He looked to be on the verge of ripping his hair out. In return, he simply received a wry smile, one full of regret for putting such a situation on both Tati and Bilbo, but didn't give any words of comfort for the hobbit.

"Ah that's because I invited them here."The grey wizard answered simply. "Let's see here… Bofur, Bifur… Fili, Kili…" He muttered to himself incoherently, ignoring the look on Bilbo's face as well as the slight anger showing through.

"Why would you-"

"Excuse me, but what should I do with my plate," Ori asked, interrupting the poor hobbit from his exasperated yelling.

"Here lad, give it to me," another dwarf called out, followed by the most annoying sound that Bilbo has been hearing nearly all evening long; their gleeful cheering and laughter. It was then that putrid song was sang, and Bilbo's temper, and stress level rose. The only thing that made him from completely losing control was the thought of how Tati didn't have to face this madness too. He only hoped it would stay that way until Gandalf decided to take her away again. She didn't need to be around such a place; it was also as worse as a tavern!

OOO

All evening his thoughts had been occupied, his attention divided, and even though he was surrounded by kin, after what felt like an eternity, his mind kept wandering back to the black haired, hazel eyed girl he had met a couple hours ago; Tati.

No one seemed to know to notice his unusual behavior, for he still forced himself to act like his normal self, however he knew people like Balin, who knew him very well, noticed something was up.

And when he had seen that she had basically vanished into thin air, and hadn't taken a bit of the meal he had told her, well, more like commanded, her to eat, it made him a bit angry, and flustered at the stubborn woman. He searched nearly the whole home for her, to force her to eat once again, until he decided to just sit back down and eat and mingle with his kin, to try to act neutral, especially around those who are good readers when it came to emotions and actions. It was almost nuisance to be around them, for they always seemed to know what you're thinking, about what you're feeling.

He still wasn't sure why he wanted to force her to eat, to gain some meat in her lithe body, until she couldn't eat anymore, but like all the other times, he didn't think much of it. And instead, he chatted with the other dwarves, trying to get his mind away from the mysterious, intriguing, and now almost irritating woman, no matter how much she filled the capacity of his mind. But it wasn't long before a knock broke everyone away from everything. For they all knew it could belong to one person and one person only.

"He's here," Gandalf said in chilling, and slightly spooky voice. And with those words everyone, even the hobbit who had no idea what was happening, straightened their back and turned focused and completely serious. _It's time for business. Don't dare think about the girl who is most likely already taken by the hobbit,_ Dwalin scolded himself quickly before he pushed himself to think only of the quest.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for all the follows/favs/reviews! I won't be responding to reviews this time because I want to get the chapter out there as fast as I can. I know I told you guys I won't be updating regularly due to the fact that this story will only be worked on if I updated my other stories or if I need a break, but I'm sorry for a long wait. This chapter was pretty hard to write believe it or not._


	6. Chapter 6 The Defender

**Chapter Six**

 **The Defender**

 _The warm and soft blankets that wrapped around her small form in almost a lovingly embrace did nothing to calm the nerves prickling on her fair skin, ones that caused her to quake with fear and knowing. As disturbing and unhealthy as it sounded, she had grown used the buildup of anxiety and terror residing in her internals. And even though her mother never proved to change at any point in time, her own daughter not even being the exception, she just wished that her mother was here, acting like a true mother should and comforting her through the night, the ones where the black haired girl laid wide awake, wondering what the darkness had in store for her this time. Would she be given a break, or would she have to have to face it once again, the rotting feeling building up inside her body?_

 _She wondered if at dinner tonight, when he had reached over and started to rub her bared thigh that it would've been all he wanted for today, but that usually was never the case. He was never satisfied, especially when he had excluded those kinds of things only to her mother, which was why he always came back to her for more. Which was why she slowly began to cut herself, just to end the misery; but it seemed that whatever powerful being or beings that watched over this world didn't care to show any compassion to her. It made her wonder why such horrible creatures called human beings were made in the first place._

 _And from the heavy footsteps she could hear, echoing from outside her room, followed by the manly grunts, that she knew it was going to be another one of_ _ **those**_ _nights. The ones where she got little to no sleep, and usually was forced to stay home for he feared that someone may see the marks he would leave on her skin. He wasn't about to lose his "love" quite yet._

 _The girl lying in the bed, her heart beating so rapidly that if felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest for she knew what was about to come, listened her door click open, and the man she dreaded just as much as she dreaded her mother walked in, sighing exhaustedly. She felt as her bed dipped when he plopped on her bed, after closing and locking her door, and felt as his large hand ran down one of her legs, covered by the confines of the warm blankets. "Tatiana," he breathed out, running his hand down again, an action that caused her to bite her bottom lip in a pain wracking manner. "I know you're awake. You're always awake when I come," he then continued, not moving any part of body except for that hand that continued to stroke her, a feeling she hated even though she couldn't completely feel it._

 _The girl whimpered when he suddenly straddled her, pushing at her shoulder so that she laid flat on her back, however, she refused to meet his gaze; she loathed looking into the eyes that had caused her misery for the past two years, the same eyes that corrupted a woman who could've been sweet and loving, if she didn't get something out of keeping her mouth shut about the whole situation involving a stepfather, a daughter, and uninvited touching._

 _She felt as his breath grazed her ear as he pressed chaste kisses underneath her jaw and trailing them down her neck, which caused her to involuntarily shake against him, trying to the sick feeling that coiled up in her stomach. "I love you, Tatiana," he continued, right before he pulled the only comfort away from her (the warm blankets that held her captive in solace), and started to push up her shirt, his eyes dark with lust as he ignored with tiniest of cries exiting her pretty pink lips. He couldn't wait to devour her._

OOO

Tati woke up with a jolt, nearly springing from the bed as if she had just been struck by lightning. Her chest heaved deeply, her body shuddering as her mind replayed the night terror she just had over and over again like a broken record. Like in some screwed up part of destiny, she needed to be reminded of her daily torture back on her own world. She realized even being a whole universe away didn't give her the luxury of being free. She would remain forever a caged animal, clawing at its confines in a desperate attempt to get loose. But that was all it was; an attempt, one that Tati feared that she may never gain the freedom she had been fighting for for so long.

Pushing the unwelcomed dream into the dark corners of her mind, where all her inner demons and monsters resided, she pushed herself off of Bilbo's bed, realizing she must've fallen asleep at some point, and felt sorry that she had left the kind hobbit to the wolves. Tati felt pain weight heavily on her chest, thinking about how she was going to leave her sanctuary and would be have to talk to new people, but even so, she forced her legs to move. She couldn't stay away forever.

Wiping the cold sweat that had formed on her face some time during her nap, and she attempted to act as if everything in this place was alright as she pushed the door open, cautiously looking around, yet, she didn't see anyone.

Wiping her sweaty palms on her trousers, she forced her shaky legs to move forwards, and towards the small voices she could faintly hear, sounding nothing more than the whispering wind. But as she moved forward, they got louder. The black haired girl was glad that she could hear at least one friendly and familiar voice.

"Great, now that we have everyone here-… Bilbo, where's Tati," Gandalf's voice asked, just as the girl in question walked around the corner, coming face to face with a large group of new people, more specifically, dwarves.

"Gandalf, wh-what's going o-on?" Tati asked in her usual nerve wracking and stuttering voice, bringing every pair of eyes towards her, which caused her to start to shift weight on her feet, disliking all the attention brought towards her. Though most were just looking at her curiously, there were some that bluntly looked weary and suspicious of her, distrust shinning in their eyes. It made Tati swallow nervously.

She wasn't sure why, but her eyes shifted over to a certain dwarf, the only she had met earlier, and found him looking straight at her, mostly appearing stoic, however, she could see the a small gleam of a unknown emotion there. Abrutly, Tati ripped her eyes away, finding her cheeks heating up for an odd reason and focused back onto a certain wizard.

"Ah, my dear, there you are, please take a seat," the older man offered, smiling at her as he gestured to a seat that was coincidentally right next to Dwalin, who now had his arms crossed. The gleam in his eye, she realized, was focused solely onto her, and she only then figured out that the emotion wasn't dislike or angry towards her, but more like the kind of look given to children when their parents caught them doing something bad. She was then remembered how he wanted her to eat before, and she hadn't. _Why would he care, maybe it's something else,_ she pondered to herself.

"Gandalf, who is this woman? I thought you said the hobbit would be the fourteenth member of this company? I will not stand for stragglers," a new voice piqued up, one filled with darkness and a cold detachment; it nearly made Tati shiver with terror, though surprisingly, she held it back. The voice reminded the girl very much of her mother's own voice; filled with no warmth or love.

"He is," Gandalf grumbled back, staring defiantly back at a certain dwarf, one with icy blue eyes that could freeze anybody in their place, and one with an air of authority surround him like a shield. "Tati however will be joining too. She will be my responsibility and mine alone. This was completely unexpected, I assure you of that Thorin Oakenshield, but I am her guardian now, and therefore, I have to take care of her. You should understand that." The wizard got defensive, his words hard as he gave challenging eyes towards the king. Anything involving Tati, the grey wizard found himself getting protective, like he had to deflect all the corruption and all the bad things in this world away from her. And he knew Thorin was displeased with both his choice of a burglar and a traveling companion.

The company sat idly by and watched as the two glared at each other, neither backing down quite yet. Though some turned their gazes back onto the girl, furrowing their eyebrows at her behavior; she seemed on edge, and also fearful of them all, like they all intended the worst kinds of things towards her.

"Fine, she is your responsibility," Thorin gritted out, realizing that this wasn't up for discussion, but in reality, he planned on talking to Gandalf more about the subject later, where there wouldn't be a whole group of watchful eyes. "Shall we start?" he continued on, watching out of the corner of his eye as the girl sat down in the seat next to Dwalin, still twiddling with her fingers in an uncomfortable manner. She still had yet to realize she had been doing that since the moment she stepped into the light. But being who he is, Thorin quickly pushed the thoughts away and focused on the task on hand. He planned to interrogate her later.

OOO

"Here we are, contracts for the both of you," a white haired dwarf, the one who Tati figured out was named Balin, said, handing the two of them their very own contract.

The girl looked down at the paper, hesitantly reaching to sign it, even though her heart was nearly frozen over with anguish, and she couldn't help but feel resentment for Gandalf; for everything he kept from her. She figured that their quest would be tedious with danger lurking alongside, but when Thorin, the leader of this rambunctious company, started talking about reclaiming their homeland, and fighting some dragon, she knew she had bitten more than she could possibly chew. And the fact that man she had grown to trust hadn't told her so, was even more frustrating, especially since she knew the reason he kept it from her was because he knew she would refuse to go along.

For one, Tati was, in lack of better words, terrified, especially if she had to fight a monstrous dragon as well as some dark creatures called orcs. But most importantly, she didn't want to hurt anybody. She knew little to nothing about fighting whatsoever, the most she could do is stab something with a knife but even then Tati was too timid to do such a thing, which left her being the burden of the group. If they have to try to save her each and every time danger jumped in, she knew they were going to lose someone. The black haired girl didn't want to be the cause.

But now, being faced with a contract, she felt as if she couldn't back out now, for she still owed Gandalf, and this was her repayment for the kindness he bestowed upon her.

With that thought in mind, Tati finished signing it, handing it back over to Balin with slightly shaky hands; she couldn't stop it even if she tried. She was practically having a seizure in her seat from all the apprehension that had built up from listening in on the details of this mission, her stomach churning whenever the thought of a fire breathing dragon entered her mind, which seemed to be quite frequently; Tati couldn't seem to get her mind off of it. Her dream/memory be damned compared to this quest.

Trying to keep her mind off of it for a while, in fear of vomiting, she turned her hazel colored orbs over to Bilbo, watching as the hobbit was nearly having a panic attack. He too wasn't too happy with the thought of this quest.

"Funeral arrangements," He nearly yelled, exasperated.

"Think furnace with wings," another dwarf jumped in, clearly amused with the whole ordeal, making the girl frown at him. She couldn't understand why people got such pleasure and humor watching others getting scared for even though she knew he was just teasing, it too was causing her to near an anxiety attack.

And as Tati attempted to calm herself down, to appear unaffected when clearly she felt like anything but that, an intense gaze zeroed in on her, watching her, studying her. And that gaze belonged to the one and only Dwalin, who was increasingly getting more and more furious.

He was close to strangling both of the princes and Bofur for they were the reason she was becoming more and more on edge, the reason why she looked like she was about to vomit right then and there. He loathed that look for an odd reason he didn't care about at the moment, instead, he tried to force himself not to give into the urge to crush their skulls, but it was getting harder and harder. Especially when the pretty girl looked around for some kind of help, her soft and sweet eyes begging for them to stop or for someone to put a halt to their actions, however, she received none for no one was even looking at her, or didn't even recognize the look. They all stared at Bilbo, wondering what was going to happen next, which made Dwalin clench his fists in anger. This girl didn't deserve to be the victim of this, even if it was second handedly.

And the moment after the hobbit ended up fainting, Dwalin found himself abruptly standing up, unable to take it anymore for Tati looked as if she was about to faint herself, her skin turning deathly pale, much more whiter than her original skin tone. "Enough of your petty games, this is not a subject you should take lightly!" he roared as he slammed his two burly fists on the table, anger radiating from him that was nearly chocking. He couldn't care less about the shocked and perplexed looks he received from the members, for he was focused on the trio, glaring at them with ferocity they had no idea even existed; it even made both Fili and Kili shudder with horror that notoriously got in trouble nearly all the time.

Sending them one last glare and a pointed look, he sat down with a huff, watching Tati in the corner of his eyes, feeling concern fill him.

In return, he saw her giving him a grateful look, a blush growing on her fair skinned cheeks, but what was most shocking, that made his heart starting to beat rapidly along with that burning feeling in his chest, was all because of the small curve at the ends of her lips, one that highlighted the beautiful features of her face. It was the closest thing he had seen of her smiling (and then she wasn't even really smiling), and it was absolutely dazzling. As a strange happiness started to fill him, it made his own lips nearly start to pull into a smile of his own; _nearly_.

He then found himself at odds as he had troubles trying to shove away the crimson red blush plastered on his cheeks.

And what the dwarf didn't figure out at first was that simple action he had done for her caused the fear she felt towards him being wiped clean away. She suddenly felt safe and comfortable around him, something given to none, not even Gandalf and Bilbo, in such a small amount of time.

As her shoulders went lax, she sighed, but this time, it was flowing with content.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for all the follows and favs! I also appreciate the reviews, and excuse any grammar errors._

 _To angel897_ _: Thank you I hope you enjoy this chapter._

 _To watergoddesskasey_ _: Thank you very much, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!_

 _To Guest_ _: Well thank you._

 _To BloodyTink_ _: I completely agree. At first I was planning on having her still be a bit on edge with him, but I decided not to because it would be a bit OOC for my OC. And I completely agree with what you said about Dwalin and dwarves, it'll just take Tati some time since she's not used to them. It'll just take time since Dwalin is going to be the only exception for a faster than normal, a kind hearted, and mutual relationship. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7 Our Demons Hide

**Chapter Seven**

 **Our Demons Hide**

The rest of the night went along finely, or at least, as well as it could have. Though at times Tati felt herself go rigid in her chair whenever the laughing and talking in the room got louder, along with watching the group of rowdy dwarves consume countless drinks, she remained somewhat comfortable, a huge victory in such a petite form compared to her other less than okay experiences with groups. The memories regarding even the smallest groups such as only two or three people had also been a nightmare in itself. However, her calm moments seemed to be driven from staying close to a certain burly dwarf named Dwalin, who refrained from such childish behavior; though he did continue to drink alongside with the others, he wasn't anywhere near being drunk. The girl just didn't know he did that on purpose.

He was no fool, nor was he blind at this moment in regarding her behavior, mostly because he just couldn't keep his gaze away. He found himself glancing over at her, though mostly only for a split second, not long enough for someone to catch him, he found he couldn't go more than five minutes without his eyes drifting back to the black haired girl beside him, who has yet to say anything. She merely stared down at the plate of food in front of her, filled with the tidbits of food he managed to gather after having this house ransacked by hungry dwarves with bottomless stomachs, still in spot where he had set it down and had ordered her to eat it, not saying anything else. He wanted to say more, he felt a huge urge to scold her from earlier, however, he knew it was not his place to do so. And so, he kept his mouth shut, knowing that this time she would at least try to eat it since he was here, making damn well sure that no crumb was left behind. This brought a whole new dosage of confusion to fill his veins.

He at first couldn't figure out why he was caring so much for her, especially since he knew nothing about her, but then he realized it was because she was interesting. She wasn't the kind of woman you passed on a daily basis; no she had a story that was worth telling. A life worth knowing about. But even then, he felt like there was something more, hiding just under his nose, that meant he was now confused as to why he reacted differently towards her compared to the other woman he's met, but for now, he shook it off, not caring to look into it at the moment.

Glancing back at her through the corners of his eyes, he watched as she timidly stabbed one of the cherry tomatoes with her fork, being an obvious kind of food that the dwarves avoided, and raised it to her mouth, chewing rather slowly. _It's a start,_ he thought to himself.

OOO

"What can you tell me about this girl; you said you are her guardian now, how so?" Thorin immediately asked once he and the grey haired wizard were alone and away from other curious ears, his icy orbs narrowed seriously, with a hint of anger gleaming in them. He never liked unexpected surprises to say the least, especially ones that could put this whole quest in danger. He held nothing against the girl, for he could tell she was simply going along for Gandalf, and nothing else, but with the past like his, he would take no chances. He would not allow anything to ruin the possible success of this quest, especially if the cause ended up being somewhat related to the black haired girl that he had allowed to come along.

"For one, her name is Tatiana, but goes by Tati, and you shall call her by that. I found her about a week ago, lying in the woods covered in bruises and scratches, with no memory of how she got there or what this place even was; she could only remember the people in her life, and the fact that they had all passed away. I had taken her to a healer, and he patched her right up. But because she had no one to go back, I took guardianship of her; you know as well as I that I couldn't just leave her to live on her own, in a world she can't even remember." Gandalf said, already taken in consideration of what to tell the dwarven king for he knew the time would come when Thorin would ask about her. This way would cause the least amount of suspicion coming from the dwarf, and it was also a way that only called for Tati lying a little. He knew that wouldn't sit right with her.

"Have you ever considered she could be a spy?" the dwarf gritted out in return, though he looked a bit less angry than before, in fact, his usual cold gaze that could freeze over hell, softened just the tiniest bit; unable to be seen by normal eyes.

"At first I did," the wizard grumbled admittedly, his protectiveness over the girl starting to show a bit as his calculating eyes narrowed daringly back. "But once I talked to her I realized that there was no way she could be a spy; she's too kind for that. I have met a lot of spies over the years, of all different sizes, gender, race, and personality; I can tell you for a fact that she is no spy. However _Thorin_ , do not put underestimate her so easily. You as well as everyone else in this house have yet to learn that Tati is actually a survivor, which you will find later on, and on her own time as well." Though usually Gandalf managed to keep calm and refined under these situations, especially when he knew dwarves were probably the most hard headed of all the races out there, he couldn't help himself; Tati had dug herself into him, and he now cared too much to act civil.

A pregnant pause settled into the air as the king thought it over, a tight lipped frown curling at his lips, displeased with the outcome greatly. Though he had met enough female warriors in his life to know that they didn't always need to be protected, contradicting one of the main beliefs and customs the dwarven race has, he also could see that this girl, Tati, was no warrior. She stuttered with every word that slipped through her pearly white teeth, her confidence at the lowest level possible, she appeared nervous around them at all times, looking nothing more than a terrified caged animal; no, she was definitely not a warrior. And even though Thorin looked at her like she was nothing but a nuisance, he couldn't help the small sliver of fear for her. She was weak, small, and pretty; an obvious target, a person that can easily be taken advantage of.

"Fine," he growled out, loathing the feeling of defeat that rested in lungs, making his chest feel ten times heavier. "But she is your _responsibility_ and yours alone. Make sure you take care of her, I would hate to have her death on the conscious of my men; it'll distract them from our goal."

"Very well, I had planned on that anyways, but Thorin, keep what I've said in mind."

OOO

The eerie atmosphere washed over them as the gloomy melody slipped from their downcast lips, the song holding tragedy, and the utter most pain. The song about their past, the song that caused some to lose hope, and the song that gave others hope; a chance for redemption for they weren't ignorant to the downfall of the once mighty kingdom. The song about the Misty Mountains.

It was obvious to Tati, who sat on the floor, her hazel eyes trained onto her lap like it was most interesting thing in the world, that this song held a lot of meaning to them. The once cheery dwarves who were gulping down their ale, who were laughing and joking, now wore pained expressions, some even becoming detached from reality, for they could remember that day; others could only remember the stories they had been told as lads, and how much horror had been spread throughout the land. No matter if you were there or not, it was no event that should ever be taken lightly.

The aura in the room was now so dark that there was no longer any room for any light to free the troubled souls from their inner turmoil. Tati soon found herself preferring the group acting boisterous like before than like this; saddened by loss. At least when they had been rambunctious, they had been happy, carefree even; she would never want anyone to ever feel this way, especially since she understood perfectly how it felt. No one should ever feel this way, no one deserves to ever feel this way.

Dropping her head even more, to hide away the pain she was starting to feel all over again, flashes of her past appearing before her very eyes, remembrance of the own suffering she had to endure. She felt tears prickling at the corners of her dulled eyes, threatening to drip out.

Yes, she understood perfectly.

Most times it felt like these shadows were dragging you down to the deep, dark void of depression, just waiting for the opportunity to kill you off. Other times, you almost wished it would just do it already so that the suffering would just stop. So that you could have the ultimate freedom from the dreary reality called real life.

It wasn't until she felt a soothing hand patting the top of her head almost awkwardly, trying to comfort her in a strange way that did not call for words, that she realized a tear had slipped out, running down her fair skinned cheek, and dripping onto her lap. She had swore to herself that she had been done crying, but it seemed even now she couldn't help herself; she was not as strong as she wanted to be.

Glancing out of the corner of her eyes, she caught onto Dwalin, who was looking straight back at her.

Though he tried to cover up the feelings he felt inside with his usual indifferent mask, he could not hide the clump of emotions he felt from her. She could see them residing in his steely eyes; a mixture of multiple kinds of feeling; ones that clearly told her that he too understood the agony, that he actually cared.

Thankfully he was the only one who saw her cry, for he was the only one in a position that could see the beautiful features of her face clearly, and for that, she was thankful. All the burly dwarf did was continued to caress the silky dark strands of hair lying on her head, watching her steadily. He found a huge wave of possessive and protectiveness wash over him, a strong urge to want to find the reason as to why she was crying; to pummel that person/thing that had caused the pain she clearly felt.

He could see it in her eyes; she understood too well of the emotions of misery and suffering. She too was a survivor, who was still trying to hold onto the broken pieces of their soul. And for that, he could find himself no longer thinking back to the dragon attack, back to his own pain, instead his focus shifted back to the girl sitting by his legs. The girl he was starting to care more and more by each second that passed.

 _I still don't know what it is about you, but I promise you, I will protect you,_ he vowed to himself, his gaze never leaving Tati's stiff form. He was finally starting to come to terms with the fact that he indeed liked Tati more than he cared to admit.

And with that, he promised to himself, that he would save her not only from pain of this quest, but as well as the inner turmoil that had caused such a sweet and kind hearted girl, to become scared, and emotionally scarred.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews/follows/favs! I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as well done as I usually do I kind of was just lazy with it and hurried with it to get it out there. Please excuse any grammar errors._

 _To Robinbird79_ _: There aren't a lot of Dwalin stories, mostly just the Kili, Fili, and Thorin ones. However, the Dwalin ones I have found, I can honestly say I didn't really like them. But yeah Dwalin/OC stories are rare, as well as ones that revolve around Bofur, Ori, or any of the other dwarves._


	8. Chapter 8 Save Me

**Chapter Eight**

 **Save Me**

"Tati? Are you awake my dear," a certain gray clothed wizard asked cautiously, knocking softly on the door that contained the raven haired girl he had hoping to see. He would admit, he still felt guilt from all that he had put her through the night prior, and wished to apologize for leaving her as such. He was well aware of how anxious and nervous the girl got around new people, or people she just didn't know well enough, and he had left her with a hobbit she had just met, whose house was soon filled with a bunch of rowdy dwarves that she didn't know at all as well, who probably made her more uncomfortable than not.

He could see she got along fine with Bilbo, something he predicted would happen.

"Y-yes Gandalf, I am. You c-can come in," her meek voice sounded through the layer of wood, soft and on the quiet side as always.

And she was stuttering. Now Gandalf felt even guiltier; it had only been a couple days ago when she had been talking to him as good as anyone.

Pushing the door open, Gandalf came in view of Tati, who was just putting on her socks, already garbed in a regular black tunic, regular trousers (that held thick material so that she could stay warm on the more colder days), and finally boots made for traveling sitting next to her feet. It had been Jack who had gone and gotten her some clothes to wear, saying that he didn't want her to come back only to be sickly from not having suitable clothes for such a lengthy trip.

"My dear, I apologize for leaving you with Bilbo yesterday, as well as the other members of our company. I know that must've made you uncomfortable, and I am sorry for putting you in that type of position," he stated sincerely as his hand moved to her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze in comfort. He had taken notice beforehand that her shoulders had been locked into a stiff position, obviously taking in mind of the events that would happen today. She was anxious, which Gandalf understood just fine.

Finally, her form relaxed as her hazel orbs darted up to his, offering the gray bearded wizard a timid, yet genuine, smile. "T-thank you Gandalf, it's alright, really. I d-did fine, besides, I need to come out of my sh-shell sometime," Tati answered back sweetly, already feeling ten times better. Even as the quest loomed over of her head like a storm cloud, it already made the girl feel better knowing that there was someone by her side that would be with her through it all.

"You take all the time you need Tati, some things should never be forced." He reminded, his paternal instincts kicking in as they usually always do whenever he was with Tati. "I'll see you in a little while; I'm going to go finish getting ready myself. Will you be alright?" Gandalf finished as he gave her shoulder one last squeeze, straightening back up to his full height.

"I-I'll be fine." She answered rather grudgingly, though the thought of being left alone with the people she barely even knew made her nerves on her skin spike back up, her heart starting to beat a little harder. "I-I mean… I know I'll have to talk to them sooner or later, s-so it's best to start now. I'm just… still nervous." Tati admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, something that caused the older man to smile.

"You don't have to rush yourself, my dear, just do it at a pace that you feel comfortable at." Watching intently as the black haired girl reconsidered his words, he found himself pleased as she nodded after a moment later, a small smile lighting up on her face.

"Thank you Gandalf." She said softly, her velvety voice humming as she did so.

Watching as the gray clothed wizard left her room, Tati sighed to herself quietly, yet this time, a small smile formed at the corners of her lips, lighting up her features.

 _I shouldn't be so down._ She reminded herself as she gazed with slight happiness at the door at which the wizard had left in, warmth filling the empty holes of her heart. _After all, I am doing this for Gandalf; he deserves to have someone by his side on this dangerous quest, and after all the kind things he's done for me, I owe him more than anyone. I mean, I've never had that sort of kindness bestowed on me before, at least, until I met him._

Sighing one last time, Tati slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder, feeling a bit better than she had before; she felt… more _determined_.

OOO

Adding the final adjustments to the bags she was currently packing on, the black haired girl stood back for a second to admire her work, patting the pony softly on the back as she did so. She was rewarded with a small, content huff, something that caused her hazel orbs to soften.

Somewhere in her being that wasn't still trying to comprehend the fact that she was now in a whole other world, Tati had been appalled at how small she had become; which she had realized only a couple days after Gandalf's rescue. In truth, the girl hadn't been all that big in her old world; she had been shorter than most, yet, had remained above four foot, and her body had always been petite sized. But her size now, was definitely smaller than she had originally been, and she still had to get used to the fact that she would be even smaller to other people than she had been before.

Tati was not looking forward to having to literally look up to people even more.

Moving away from her stead, Tati glanced over at the door to Bilbo's home, finding herself slightly frowning when she still had yet to see Bilbo at all. She knew that he had been afraid of what might come on this journey, it had been obvious from the way he had passed out thought Tati would instantly admit that if it hadn't been for Dwalin, she would've had the same fate as the hobbit. But in light, she had been hoping that Bilbo would've changed his mind, and had hoped that he would be coming out of that door any second now, informing her that he decided to join the company.

But Tati could clearly see now that it was not the case.

Letting a bit of disappointment consume her features, her eyes drifted to the ground, slightly saddened that she wouldn't have another soul to speak to that she had grown comfortable with.

"You look depressed lassie," a familiar voice popped up, seeming out of nowhere, causing the girl in return to jump slightly before flinching. Her eyes moved upwards to find a certain burly dwarf staring straight back at her, his arms crossed with an unknown emotion flashing in his eyes. Frowning slightly, Dwalin felt a bit guilty for scaring, especially since he knew the girl was practically on edge all the time, however, old habits die hard, and not once had Dwalin ever apologized to anyone except his king. And even though he felt the urge to spout out a sorry, he held himself back, pushing away the confusing feelings as he went back onto the task at hand.

"Oh-h, I'm f-fine," She stated softly, her fingers twitching just a bit as she tried to hold back her natural habit with fiddling with her fingers. Though for a reason she had yet to understand, she didn't feel as twitchy and nervous with Dwalin as she usually is with others she hadn't known very long, or, at all.

Tati, instead, felt… _safe_. Like he wasn't some vile person with secret intentions nor someone so quick to judge her.

Swallowing as she felt an unfamiliar burn on her cheeks, she forced her hazel eyes upwards, staring intently back into his own light blue ones. They gazed at each other for a minute, not even realizing what was happening until Tati felt her once gone nerves spike up again, ripping her vision away from his.

"Hmf," Dwalin hummed, his eyes becoming stern. "Have ye eaten breakfast yet," he asked in his usual gruff voice, even though he already knew the answer. Having ignored all the confusing emotions that had been irking him, Dwalin had found himself searching for a certain raven haired, noting that she hadn't been there to eat breakfast with the others, and that no one but that wizard dressed in gray garb had seen her.

Instead of analyzing his strange behavior further, he simply just assumed it was because the girl was incredibly small, and if she was going to survive a long journey as the one they were going on, well, she was going to need more meat on her bones than _that_.

"Um-m, n-no, I haven't y-yet," she grudging admitted, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly as her gaze darted to side, obviously shameful. Tati was still replaying what had happened only the night before where she had skipped out on her meal (after Dwalin had forcefully tried to get her to eat), only for him to catch her later on and force her to eat once more.

"Hm, c'mon," was all he said, before he gently, yet firmly, grabbed her arm, pulling the girl inside the dainty hobbit home.

 _Why am I… Why am I not freaking out?_ Tati's thoughts questioned as she allowed the burly dwarf to pull her inside, her eyes mixed with confusion, and wonderment, her rather widened orbs glancing down at the meaty hand gripping her fair skinned arm. _Usually whenever I'm touched I start panicking and freak out, especially if it was someone I barely know… So why don't I start to panic when he touches me? Why do I… feel like I am safe with him…_ She pondered to herself, but then, a thought struck her, one that wasn't too farfetched, but had yet to hit it's mark.

 _It was because of last night, when he had defended me… It had been twice that night where he had taken care of me when he didn't have to… Yes, that's definitely it, it's because he had helped me when he didn't have to,_ Tati realized with a rather brighter than usual smile tugging at her lips as oblivious as ever Dwalin set her in a seat, giving her a stern and hardened stare, that surprisingly, didn't affect her at all. "Stay." He commanded before he left the room, leaving the girl all to her lonesome self with a smile caught onto her face.

And he felt his lips twitch slightly in the urge to grin back.

OOO

Icy, sharp eyes ran over the entire company, watching everyone intently and in a protective manner, especially when they eyes ran over a familiar cheeky duo that was currently bantering to each other. To him, they were family (some being actual blood, while others were not), and soon, they would head out and fight together as friends and comrades to reclaim their home. Soon, they would head out, and be at least one step closer to finally getting rid of that retched dragon that had haunted their dreams for many years.

He had waited for what seemed like forever to get to this point, and now, here he was.

Yet, there was just one more matter in the way.

Despite what most would assume, Thorin held no ill feelings towards the black haired girl. However (coming from a background that honored their females), realizing, after mush experience in battling, he knew that she was not ready to put into a fight. And so, the dwarven king planned on trying his hardest to convince the girl to stay here, in the peaceful Shire, where it was safe.

 _The lands that they we're about to venture through weren't meant for gentlefolk like her_ , Thorin thought to himself, waiting patiently for a certain medium haired ravenette to appear.

After a few moments, he heard the creak of a door opening, and as he turned his gaze towards the front, he found his one of the most trusted men, Dwalin, walking out with Tati following closely behind, seeming more content with being around him than she had last night being around the others. Frowning as he crossed his arms across his chest, he analyzed he two for a second, deciding not the approach the girl right away. _Dwalin isn't known for his friendliness, or for being approachable._ Thorin thought to himself, his eyes narrowing when he caught Tati flashing a shy smile Dwalin's way after he had said something, and the burly dwarf in question simply nodded, though after years of knowing the other dwarf, he knew that there was smile lingering in his eyes, even though it was mostly hidden away. Dwalin as well was also acting a bit different, not nearly as closed off and cold as he usually is (yet, he noticed it was only really around that girl).

 _I don't what is with him,_ Thorin sighed to himself, finding yet another reason as to why the black haired girl shouldn't be allowed to go on this quest.

Thorin then strutted up to the two, stopping right in front of Tati as she (seemingly on instinct) nervously gripped her hands, the expression on her face suddenly becoming more on edge than the joyful expression marring her features only seconds earlier.

"Can I talk to Miss Tati alone," Thorin asked Dwalin, though it was more of command that anything as he ignored Tati for a moment, in his vain attempt to calm the girl down a bit before he spoke to her. The other burly dwarf could clearly hear the clear power he used in his voice, and complied.

Dwalin simply nodded almost gingerly, patting Tati on the shoulder lightly as he moved away; and even though he walked off without a glance back, the king could see the slight hesitation in Dwalin's eyes right before he left, something that the raven haired dwarf noted in his mind for later matters.

Thorin waited until he was completely away before he turned his full attention back onto Tati, who was involuntarily cowering under his heavy gaze, nervously nibbling at her lip. The king sighed inwardly for a moment, cursing the gray wizard for a moment for putting him in such a position, _this could've been easily been avoided,_ Thorin's thought grumbled. "Miss Tati," he stated, attempting to ignore the way she flinched under his sharp gaze before she willed herself to stare him in the eyes; something that appeared to take all her willpower to do. "You are aware of what this quest requires of you, are you not?" he asked, lifting his chin up as Thorin allowed a power-filled aura to surround him.

Licking her lips, Tati answered back, "Y-yes, I-I-I a-am," she mumbled in her soft voice, so quiet that the king nearly hadn't heard her.

"Then you know that deciding to stay here, in the Shire, would be safer for you," he continued.

"Y-yes," she mumbled again, the apples of her cheeks tinting a light pink at the direct attention she was getting from the older man. His gaze was heavy, commanding, ice-cold, and even though the hazel eyed girl knew not to judge a book by its cover, it still made her anxious, causing her stomach to churn uncomfortably.

"Then why don't you," Thorin asked bluntly, crossing his arms as he continued to gaze at the nerve wracked girl, feeling a strange twinge of guilt as he watched her flinch another time underneath his hard stare.

"W-well, b-because of G-g-gandalf," Tati stuttered as her fingers twiddled faster, her voice rising up a bit. "If-f it wasn't f-for him, I w-would be dead. H-he saved me, w-when others would n-not… I o-owe him." She admitted, her eyes suddenly becoming increasingly softer and less guarded as she thought as the older man who had become like a grandfather in her eyes.

"If you go on this quest," the king rumbled out, inwardly appraising the girl just the slightest. Though he believed her to be foolish to go on such a dangerous mission with no fighting experience whatsoever, he also wasn;t blind to the fact that what she was doing was brave, and displayed friendship of the purest form. "There is a very high chance you won't make it back alive, or at least, without some scars to remind you."

Finally, Tati manage to muster enough to courage to give the king a small smile, though he eyes remained nervous as she did so. "I-I k-know, and I d-don't want to g-get into anybody's w-way. Bu-but, I would b-be willing t-to d-do anything f-for Gandalf." She answered softly, her eyes gazing downwards softly, the tiniest smile playing at her lips.

 _Yes, I would do anything for the first person to ever show me kindness without some ulterior motive behind it,_ she thought to herself faintly, Jack's kind smiles whenever he chatted to her flashing inside her head.

She glanced back up quick enough to catch the small nod Thorin gave her, clear displeasure playing at the frown on his lips. He seemed to want to say more, his mouth twitching to command her to stay back in the small hobbit town. However the second he caught sight of Gandalf, the dwarven king knew that he had to let it go for now, taking in the heated glare sent his way by the gray dressed wizard.

Huffing irritably, he turned back to Tati. "Very well," he grounded out, fighting his stubborn side that was just urging for him to take some type of action; and he would admit, he really want to let it take control, but knew how touchy the wizard got concerning the girl, and could feel the guilt piling up inside of him at seeing her fearful eyes stare back at him (yet, at the same time, it just proved that the black haired girl needed to stay behind all the more). "But if you decided to leave the company at one of our stops, no one will blame you." He finished, his icy blue orbs becoming the tiniest bit softer when he saw that she had stopping playing with her fingers.

Giving a small glance around, he nodded to himself. "Alright, let's move out."

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Oh my gosh, I will admit, this took me a long while to write. I just wasn't very inspired to work on it is all. Sorry, I know it's been longer than all my other updates. I didn't grammar check my last part so I hope everything is okay. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!_


	9. Chapter 9 Not So Unpleasant Revelations

**Chapter Nine**

 **Not So Unpleasant Revelations**

Biting her lip softly, she grabbed onto the reigns even harder on her pony, as she attempted to ignore the uncomfortable bounces she felt each step the pony took. Even after the whole trip to the Shire, Tati still wasn't completely used to the feeling of the pony's body beneath her; to a girl who never liked things like roller coasters and amusement rides, the feeling was completely unpleasant. But even the unpleasantness could not keep her mind totally occupied for she also felt utterly embarrassed, with her heart beating rapidly within the confines of her chest. She tilted her head slightly down for she could almost feel the small, amusing grins being sent her way from the others of the company. And though inwardly she knew they meant no harm, it was still embarrassing and nerve wracking to the girl. To her it felt like their eyes were digging inside her skull, going through all her memories and past embarrassments like giant judges standing over her with their arms crossed and their eyes narrowed and calculating.

Tati knew somewhere inside of her being that she was just overreacting, but it wasn't like she could control her natural meek persona. The confidence levels the hazel eyed girl contained were near to nonexistent. However, what did make her feel a little better and a lot less on edge, was all coming from the burliest dwarf of the group, who was sending nods of encouragement her way whenever she looked up, his eyes softened as he gazed at her, to the point where you could never guess that the male was a fierce warrior. Dwalin made her feel less of a fool.

"Having a bit of trouble my dear," Gandalf stated more than asked from the side of her, smiling lightly and soothingly. He too could tell that she was starting to get even tenser from all the attention she was receiving, and feeling his protective instinct kick in, he moved his horse closer to her pony, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen up under his hand momentarily, but Tati forced herself to slump her shoulders a bit, sending a shy smile back over at him.

"Y-yes, I'm-m still n-not used to h-horses quite yet," she stated sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as she continued to smile shyly up at the older man. Gandalf could only offer a strained smile back, for he knew the only reason why her stuttering came back was due to not only all the unwanted attention she was receiving from the rest of the company, but also from being around people that were strangers to her. Every time the gray wizard brought her bit by bit out of her shell, comforting her and soothing the girl along the way, it seemed that whenever a new person made their appearance she would revert back to her shy distancing.

But even knowing that, didn't mean the wise older man had to like it.

"It's understandable," Gandalf commented lightly as he tried to lift up her spirits even more.

"Y-yes," she agreed though she felt embarrassed about how everyone else seemed to have no problem with riding their ponies (or horse in Gandalf's case), and how she seemed even more incompetent than before. Nonetheless, she never forget her promise, and in spite of it all, she never lost a tiny morsel of her determination to pay back the wizard; besides, she knew that this would be the nothing compared to the dangerous parts of the quest they were about to face.

And because of those dangerous parts, she completely understood when Thorin had pulled her to side, saying the things he had said. Because in most ways the dark haired girl didn't have any survival skills; she wasn't strong or brave like the rest of them seemed to be.

"Do not think about it too much," Gandalf whispered in her ear as he leaned over, his wise eyes filling with concern. "You will do fine Tati, and if you want I could teach you some basic survival tasks that might come in handy in the near future," he continued offering her a gentle look as a he pulled back.

Glancing up, her hazel eyes that had once been filled with slightest anxiety, relaxed, her lips twitching up slightly into the tiniest smile possible. "Thank you G-gandalf, I apprec-ciate it," she whispered back lightly, internally filling with gratitude for Gandalf's kindness that he seemed to just keep bestowing upon her.

A part of her felt as if she didn't deserve care as such from him. And the other part just focused on the fact that he genuinely treated her with compassion and kindness unlike most of the people in her old world.

Her stomach dropped. Now she suddenly didn't feel any better.

 _I need to stop thinking about it,_ Tati chastised herself lightly as she shook her head softly. _I can't keep doing this every time I start to feel a bit better, I can't just keep feeling sorry for myself. I'm far away from them, I'm far away from them,_ she chanted inside her mind, hoping that maybe it'll finally stick.

"WAIT!" A familiar voice called from behind the group, ultimately breaking her from her rather depressing thoughts, which were followed with the sound of feet crunching against the covered forest floor. "Wait up! Stop!" The familiar voice continued, and in response, Tati turned crooked her head back to see who it was, and almost instantly, she felt a small smile tug at the corners of her pink lips, for coming their way was no other than Bilbo Baggins.

 _So you did come after all,_ she hummed to herself as her mood shifted entirely, completely forgetting about her inner turmoil from just seconds before. She almost felt giddy the moment she caught sight of the brunette hobbit running towards the company, feeling a bit more comfortable about this whole journey.

The hobbit had been nothing but kind and polite from the second he had allowed her to stay until Gandalf came back, and Tati appreciated that greatly.

"I signed it… I signed it," Bilbo panted as he hunched over a bit, handing over the contract to Balin who nodded acceptingly after as his old eyes scanned the entire length of the contract.

"Yes, everything seems t'be in order, welcome to the company Mr. Bilbo Baggins," Balin said politely as his kind smile appeared on his lips, tucking away the piece of paper into a one of the satchels that hung off the side of his pony. In return, the hobbit smiled brightly, and both his and everyone else's eyes danced over to Thorin, who sat upon his pony with a scowl marring his features, obviously displeased with the outcome as his dark, cold eyes pierced onto Bilbo with contained fury.

Gulping, Tati forced her eyes down again, feeling all the too familiar feeling of shivers raking up her spine, her hands growing clammy as the seconds passed, fearing of facing the dwarven king's wrath. The cold look that always seemed to be present in his icy orbs was one that promised Hell if someone were to cross his path.

"Get him a pony," Thorin's demand sounded through the tense air indifferently, causing the raven haired girl to let her stiffened posture go lax.

"Uh, there are no more ponies Uncle," a blonde dwarf who rode close by Thorin stated.

"That's alright!" Bilbo jumped in hurriedly, shaking his hands and he let a wide, flustered smile take over the features of his face. "I've done plenty of walking in my life, and I'm fast on my feet as well. There was one time-"

"Then he'll have to share a pony with someone," the king continued on in his usual deep and husky voice, breaking off whatever Bilbo had been saying almost as if the hobbit hadn't spoken at all. In response, the brunette hobbit spluttered and continued on about how it was "okay," and "he was fine with walking."

Staring down at the mane of her own pony, realization hit the small girl as to how she could fix this situation. She then found herself gulping, her heart starting to speed up to, and her hands starting to fiddle with the reigns once she opened her mouth, seeing how irked and frustrated the dwarven king was becoming with all this standing around.

"H-he could h-have m-my pony, a-a-and I could sh-share with Gand-dalf," she managed to stutter out as loudly as she could, feeling as if her cheeks had been lit on fire from all the eyes that shifted her way, feeling as if they were baring into her soul. But instead of looking at any of them, she forced her own hazel eyes to solely focuse on Thorin, nibbling the corner of her lip nervously as the dwarf stared at her for what seemed like hours, but in reality, was only about a minute before he finally spoke.

He sighed very softly under his breath. "Very well, Tati, you shall ride with Gandalf, and the hobbit will take over your pony," he agreed with a small nod of his head, mostly in order for the group to continue moving forward.

Letting out a heavy sigh, her nerves finally started to dwindled a little bit the second she caught eyes with the kind hobbit, who was giving her his usual comforting smile that was filled with gratitude; though it was quite obvious from earlier that the idea of riding with some dwarf he didn't know, and in a manner much like a parent and child riding together, didn't appeal to him.

Moving from the foot hold, thankfully, Tati climbed off of her pony without slipping in the slightest even though she could still feel all of the eyes of the company burning into her scalp.

"No," another voice interrupted just as the girl headed over to Gandalf's horse, this time though, it belonged to Dwalin, shocking the majority of the company. "Because of her tiny body, the size of the horse is only going t'be even more painful for her; the lass will ride with me," he stated clearly as his powerful voice boomed out, in a tone that dared anyone to question him, which no one did (though some planned on talking to him, or teasing him in Kili and Fili's place, about it later).

Tati, however, glanced up at the burly dwarf with eyes the size of saucers with Dwalin gazed back at her, with the tiniest bit of a smile lighting up on her lips. After a moment, he felt his heart starting to speed up, and warming feeling spreading throughout his chest. And ignoring it like he had done before, he jerked his eyes away from her innocent hazel ones and back onto his king with a silent question in his usually indifferent eyes.

Watching with calculating eyes in return, Thorin nodded slowly, carefully. "Very well, come on, we need to get moving. We're wasting sunlight," the icy eyed king demanded as he turned back forward, and urged his pony forward, his own mind filled with questions and possible answers.

Following along, the rest of the company started up their ponies again, some of them still looking back at the burly dwarf who was with the incredibly small human girl.

Keeping her eyes on the dwarf next to her, the girl offered him a brief, timid smile. And in response, Dwalin reached a hand towards her, giving her a small nod. Grabbing his rough hand in her own delicate, fair skinned one, Tati allowed him to help lift her onto the pony without a single word passed through them, and like that they were off. With the black haired girl sitting in front of him, and Dwalin holding onto the reigns of the pony from behind, his bearded cheek nearly pressing against her own.

OOO

After it happened, Dwalin wasn't sure if it was a good idea anymore.

The company had been riding for many hours now, most of the company chatting with each other as they went along while the girl and the dwarf she rode with kept quiet, content with the comfortable silence that set between them. And the sky had started to turn a pretty pinky peach color, meaning very soon, the sun was due to set, and whilst, Thorin was currently looking for a place to settle down in for the night.

Despite the nice silence that had set that Dwalin had enjoyed, he couldn't seem to rid his body of the warmth that had built up within the confines of his chest. It didn't help that it seemed to increase every time Tati shifted slightly, mostly from having to ride for so long without any break whatsoever, her back brushing against his own muscular form. And whenever she did, his heart would start to beat faster momentarily, finding himself gulping silently to himself as well.

He still wasn't sure what these feelings were, and where they came from, but Dwalin wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to find out or not. And found himself trying to ignore it as much as possible.

Hence the reason why he wasn't sure of having her ride with him was a very good; of course he still felt the urge to care for her, so he didn't really regret avoiding having her hurt her legs more than needed (he could tell riding ponies was something she hadn't done much of, and he had a feeling it would just be worse riding something that would put even more discomfort and soreness on her legs). However he preferred not to deal with feelings. And feeling them so intensified as of recently… he wasn't sure what to feel, and still opted with ignorance.

 _I shouldn't be second guessing myself,_ his thoughts reminded himself sternly. _I vowed to me'self that I would protect and care the lass, and having her ride with me than on the horse would be better for Tati-_

Ripping from his thoughts, Dwalin felt Tati shift again against his back with a small sigh escaping through her nose. This time, he tensed slightly, once again feeling her back slid against his chest which seemed to increase the warmth in his chest, with her cheek to press harder against his for a moment, before her head tilted away from his, causing his body to lax once more. And for some reason, Dwalin felt as if something tightened inside of his chest.

"We'll camp here for tonight," Thorin called out once they finally made it to an adequate spot to stay the night. While everyone started to pile off of the horses, it was only then that he realized.

Only then, when Tati leaped off the pony with a small, shy smile directed his way, that he realized the feeling he had been feeling burn all day inside his being, wasn't unpleasant in the slightest. In fact, he admitted, he kind of liked it.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Yeah I know really late update, and hopefully I'll have another one coming your way because I still have a week of spring break left and I used last week to work on some of my other stories._

 _Thank you for all the follows and favorites. I got a lot of reviews this time around, and because I am anxious to get this chapter up, I'm just going to thank you all for your kindness, so thank you:_ _BCgurlie_ _,_ _sarah0406_ _,_ _emilyjane138_ _,_ _SlytherinBtch_ _,_ _punkiewolf_ _,_ _Reader-anonymous-writer_ _,_ _Thilbo4Ever_ _,_ _Guest_ _,_ _angel879_ _, and_ _Kelwtim2spar_ _._


	10. Chapter 10 A Smile

**Chapter Ten**

 **A Smile**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Tati couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped through her lips after she finally got off of her pony, almost in an excited manner. She was finally relived that she no longer had to feel the muscles of her legs straining against the uncomfortable position. And it especially didn't help that the dwarven king wanted to use as much sunlight as possible, and so, none of the company got so much as a couple minutes to get off of their pony and rest for a while.

Attempting to ignore the pain emitting from her thighs, she glanced up to find Dwalin staring back at her with his usual indifferent eyes, however, this time, the girl could see a small gleam of some indescribable emotion resting in his usually cold eyes. Though, not one to pry, she simply offered him a small, meek smile, and in return. This caused the corners of his lips to twitch just for one second, and then it went back to its usual indifferent scowl.

If it had been anyone else, Tati would've instantly started to feel anxiety rise up through her heart, and would've started to fiddle with her fingers at such an expression. However, she didn't feel like that around him, for a reason she still hadn't found. If anything, if she were to be completely honest with herself, she felt… safe in his presence. Not just in the way she believed that he could protect her from all the physical dangers, but also like she didn't have to worry about making a fool of herself, or worry about him judging her too harshly.

In truth, she had been contemplating this, the entire ride.

Her thoughts filled with possible solutions to this equation; like she just felt protected because of last night when he had been protective over her. When he had went out of his way to scold the males for making her more afraid (more do than she had been earlier). And then also last night, as well as this morning, he made sure she had a nice meal, and even tried to force her to sit and eat.

Yet, she still barely knew him, so the question was, why?

 _Why is it… that it took me days to get a little used to Jack and Gandalf, and even though it only took Bilbo a few hours for me to become less timid, he at least had to do a lot talking before it reach that level of comfort around him… But I've barely spoken to Dwalin, and yet… I feel comfortable around him, like out of everyone here, he's the only person I can rely on. Though not true, I still feel it… Why?_ Her thoughts questioned out of the sudden, causing her to lightly nibble her bottom lightly.

So consumed with her theories bubbling in her head, she didn't hear Dwalin slide off his own pony, and plop down right next to Tati's stilled form.

When she didn't move a muscle for a few moments Dwalin frowned. "Tati," he said as softly as he could with his usual gruff and husky voice, narrowing his eyes when the girl didn't budge the tiniest millimeter.

Tati then suddenly felt a hand clasp onto her shoulder, which ultimately ripped her from her thoughts. And out of both fear and shock, her head jerked upwards as her mind snapped back to reality. With her instinctive fear, the girl ran her hazel colored orbs upwards, trailing over a muscular and tanned body, to the long dark brown hair that fell past his shoulders and up to the narrowed, yet beautifully colored eyes with the tattoos lining his head.

 _Dwalin_ , Tati recognized with relief, thankful she had managed to stop herself before her mind went back to her awful past of dark memories.

Once she realized that it was only the burly dwarf that she had been questioning herself about earlier, she felt herself finally relax, her hazel eyes' calming as she stared into his own softened eyes.

"You alright lass," he asked in a soft voice (that, if it had been someone who had known him for years, it would've shocked them to the core).

Offering him her usual meek smile, she very timidly patted his hand so quickly, that most wouldn't have caught it if they hadn't been paying their undivided attention. "Y-yes," Tati squeaked as she nodded her head lightly, and on instinct, moved out of his hold.

Dwalin nodded in return, but she could see that he was not convinced; he was pursing his lips, as if he really wanted to say something, but was holding himself back. Despite this, Tati continued to smile up at him even though she could feel her cheeks burning and was sure that a deep blush was tinting them, unknowing causing Dwalin to look away for a short second, feeling his heart race like he had before but unwilling to accept his reaction. Glancing back at the black haired girl, he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a peep out a loud voice interrupted him.

"Start setting up camp," Thorin's voice boomed through the field speaking to everyone in the company, ripping the duo from their conversation as both of their heads jerked to his area, strangely feeling as if they were little kids whose hand had been caught inside the cookie jar. "Once we're all set up we'll dispatch the watches for tonight," he commanded again, and instantly, everyone got to work, most already starting on making the fire while others simply unloaded their own things.

Releasing a small breath that she didn't even realize she was holding in, while Dwalin ran a quick hand over his face, the two started to unpack their things from the pony, vainly trying to forget the moment that had passed over them only seconds earlier. Thankfully, they were both delivered a distraction, however that did not stop Dwalin from stealing a glance or two every couple of minutes.

"Tati," Gandalf greeted as he strolled up to the petite girl, offering her a comforting smile. "How was your ride; getting used to the feeling I hope," he continued with a small chuckle when he watched a brief look of displeasure pass through her features.

"W-well, it was b-better than last ti-ime," she stumbled, trying to muster up a small smile in return, but instead, it turned out crooked and looked more like a grimace if anything. Once again, triggering another chuckle to erupt from the wizard's throat.

"I'm guessing it still wasn't all that lovely," he teased lightly, and like what Dwalin did earlier, he clasped a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze before he dropped his hand. He knew that to everyone Tati seemed to be fine with physical touching, but he knew better; if you stayed too long she would get uncomfortable and almost immediately would walk out of your grip. "Don't fret my dear; you will soon get so used to the feeling that it will no longer bother you in the slightest. Besides, it's better than walking all day," Gandalf continued.

"Y-yes," Tati agreed almost hurriedly as she nodded; despite her discomfort with riding horseback, she knew it was a luxury not having to walk altogether.

"Come along Tati, let's help the rest set up camp," he urged softly as he lightly pushed against the small of her back towards the satchels that were latched onto her and Dwalin's pony. By then Dwalin had already left a few minutes earlier to go get a quick catch of meat for the stew tonight, though he mostly volunteered because he needed an excuse to clear his mind.

She nodded again, and started to unlatch the clips (while Gandalf walked off to do his fair share of the work), digging out the bed spread that she had gotten from Jack, who had stated: "he was too old for traveling anymore, and it she didn't take it, it would just end up sitting in some closet somewhere collecting dust." It was about the only reason why she took, especially since she already felt horrible for all the clothes and supplies he had also given to her.

Once Tati had gotten out her bed she paused for a second, her eyes trailing over Dwalins' bags. She nibbled her bottom lip, contemplating whether or not she should set out his spread as well, _Should I…? I mean, he could get angry, I don't know how territorial he is over his stuff… I should just do it, take a deep breath and do it, he's helped me so much, it's the least I can do to help him._ Shyly, gingerly, almost as if she was diffusing a bomb, her dainty hand slithered underneath the satchel flap and quickly searched for his own bed spread and the split second her hand had grazed it she ripped it out in lightning speed.

Pressing the spreads against her chest, she took a small look around and noticed that everyone seemed to be tying their ponies reign's to the trees and so she followed in suit. Gently, after she tied the poor pony up, she gave the pony a loving rub on its neck, a small smile appearing on her face as the pony nudged against her hand. Giving it another pat, she walked over to one of the untaken sections of their camp, and undid Dwalin's bed, delicately smoothing it out it make it look nice.

"I'm sure Dwalin can do that," a sudden voice spoke up, seemingly out of nowhere; causing the girl to nearly jump out of her skin while jerking her entire body around, her eyes wide and her heart slamming against the confines of her chest. 

Behind her stood one of the younger dwarves that partook in this quest, one with brunette hair, and a tiny beard in comparison to the ones the others bore. On his face stretched a cheeky smile as if he knew something that she did not. Tati recognized him as one of the dwarves earlier who had been teasing Bilbo (and indirectly herself) about the danger of the quest, which had caused the poor hobbit to faint onto the hard ground. And despite her unwillingness to judge another person so quickly, she immediately felt dislike towards the young dwarf. He reminded her distinctly of the "playful" popular boys she would see at school who's "teasing" was considered not harmful to those around, but in reality it actually hurt the victim of their taunts.

"Y-y-yes I-I k-know," she barely squeaked out, and intuitively she clasped her hands together as she posture stiffened.

"Sorry about scaring you," he grinned with amusement dancing in his eyes; however the second he noticed that the girl was actually looking away from him while she anxiously nibbled on her bottom lip he instantly sobered up, feeling guilt churn inside his stomach. "Well then you don't have to do it; just let big ole grumpy Dwalin deal with his own stuff, it's not your job to do," he continued softly, a faint smile resting on his lips as he tried to grasp her attention by grabbing her shoulder.

In lightning speed her eyes shot up and she absently moved out of his hold just as quick. The young dwarf in return frowned, and noticing this, after realizing her harsh actions, Tati then composed herself as much as she could possibly do and stared at him meekly in the eye.

"A-a-am I-I n-not sup-pose to touch h-h-his stuf-f," Tati asked in an antsy tone as her eyebrows furrowed softly in both fear and slight confusion.

"No, I don't think he would mind _you_ touching his things. I just wanted you to know you're not obligated to do that." He stated with a small shrug of his shoulders. "But hey if you so desperately need to I won't hold you back," he mused with a grin, however, he noticed Tati still didn't lighten up and from the way her posture was still stiffened, it was obvious she was hesitating his presence altogether.

Holding back a sigh as he felt guilt continuing to swarm in his stomach for he had an idea as to why she was so hesitant to be around him, he still kept the grin plastered to his face. "Kili," he introduced with a bow. "At yer service!"

"I-I'm T-Tati," she said back, and with that, the corners of her lips twitched into a tiny smile that barely even lasted a second. But nonetheless Kili's grin morphed into a smile and he beamed right back.

OOO

Entering back into the camp, two small, dead rabbits hung from Dwalin's fingertips, his hunting knife strapped onto his hip. He, thankfully, had a quick and successful hunt, especially for not knowing the area all that well. It was also refreshing, and had cleared his mind momentarily, but only until he made his way back into their camp, and like a tsunami all thoughts filled with a certain shy girl with raven colored tresses and hazel eyes came rushing back. Sighing through his nose, he cleared his throat and attempted to push away his thoughts when he thought of the nice horse ride over, and the feel of Tati's body sliding against his.

"Here," he merely grunted as he dropped the two animal corpses next to Bombur's feet, who sat at the steaming pot. And before Bombur could say anything, though it wasn't like Bombur said much anyways, Dwalin strolled right off, his eyes absently grazing over the campground for Tati's form. He still had no clue why, and it was starting to slightly irritate him, but he felt this burn to be close to her, to see if she was doing just fine, and it was almost instinct to go off and find her.

And even though it's only been a couple days, he was now starting to stop questioning it.

Before long he caught sight of her standing next to what appeared to be his bedroll laying next to her own (though from the distance he couldn't really see it clearly), looking meekly reserved as none other than Kili chatted to her with a beaming, yet cheeky smile. Instantly, Dwalin felt the urge to go over there to save her from her social suffering for he experienced himself that she was rather nervous and anxious when talking to new people, but after some rather long seconds that appeared like hours of standing and watching calculatingly, he noticed that she was slowly starting to relax into the conversation.

He felt his heart speeding up at the soft and warm look overcoming the gentle features of her face.

After finding that she was okay, he headed over to the pony they shared and started to delve into his satchel, finding that she indeed set out his bedroll.

Normally the bulky dwarf would've been against anyone going through his things; they were his personal items that no one but himself needed to touch them, but strangely he found himself alright even though he knew Tati must've gone through his bag. While thinking this, he found the warmth that he had been feeling all day long grow within his chest, causing Dwalin to absently rub it vainly in hopes that it would disappear.

Ignoring the unknown feeling, he headed over to the pot of stew that sat over a fire and plopped himself down onto the ground, resting his back against the base of the tree. Dwalin then pulled out the hunting knife he had used earlier and started to clean and sharpen it, subconsciously watching as the once bright sky turned into a nice dark blue.

After a while of sitting and enjoying the cool night breeze, he heard another body seat itself next to him, and the bulky dwarf glanced to side to find it was Tati with two bowls of steaming stew in her hands. Holding her hand out, she was offering a bowl towards Dwalin with a tiny smile curving onto her pretty pink lips.

That smile… he felt his heart race again, however this time, he felt his cheeks starting to burn uncomfortably.

"I g-got you a b-bowl," she said in her usual soft and velvety voice as the smile continued to play on her lips.

He nodded towards her, trying to, once again, ignore his racing heart and the flush on his cheeks. "Thank ye lass," he answered back as he accepted the bowl, patting her on her head as his lips twitched for a small second.

The duo then sat peacefully next to each other as they ate, and even up to the moment they went to bed. And every so often, they found themselves stealing glances at one another.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: I'm so thankful that everyone is enjoying this. I went over this chapter a couple times for any grammar mistakes so hopefully everything will be good! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVS! I got so many! I got eleven and I'm just so happy everyone is enjoying this!_

 _So thank you Karybear1, shishiwastaken, BloodyTink, watergoddesskasey, electrogirl88, Magy26753, Thilbo4Ever, angel897, BCgurlie, PrincessBlonde, and lillisa34!_

 _I'm just going to answer a couple reviews, sorry if I don't answer yours, but you guys can PM me anytime_ _._

 _To Thilbo4Ever_ _: I just want to say thank you for being a consistent reviewer. Also never ever worry about this story getting abandoned! I have only once abandoned a story and that was only because I got bullied on there, but with this one don't worry I would never leave it, the only problem you'll face in the times when I don't update for months because of writers block mostly._

 _To BloodyTink_ _: I feel like Balin could get away with teasing him haha! But Fili, Kili, and Bofur, yeah they better watch their backs. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well!_

 _To Karybear1_ _: Oh my haha thank you. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter._


	11. Chapter 11 The Helping Hand

**Chapter Eleven**

 **The Helping Hand**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rolling onto her side, the black haired girl moaned in discomfort as she awoke to the sounds of bustling bodies. Strangely, she found herself happy when she saw the sun was slowly making its way out, and the others getting ready to start another day, despite her awful night of "sleeping".

Letting out a ragged sigh, Tati rubbed the back of her sore neck as she sat up, glad to finally be away from the rough ground. Despite the comfort her bedroll offered, it did absolutely nothing to ease the pain of sleeping upon the unforgiving forest floor, causing her to have a rather painful night of sleeping. Now not only did her legs feel sore from yesterday, but her back, neck, and head hurt like no other, causing her to grimace as she slowly stood up. The girl then stretched out her limbs in a vain attempt to help the pain she felt, but really, all it did was relive some of the tension in her back. With a defeated sigh she glanced over the camp, finding that everyone was already getting ready to head on.

Pushing her petite, yet very exhausted body up, Tati immediately started to roll up her bed roll, cringing every so often as her muscles strained against every movement. Before the girl had shown up in this new world, she hadn't been very active. Considering Tati was both shy, and occasionally clumsy, she had never been good at gym, always standing on the side lines silently praying in a vain attempt that the coach wouldn't notice that she hadn't been participating. And at the times he had caught her standing about and would force her to play (of course after thoroughly being yelled at by the coach for not being a team player), she had always been embarrassingly uncoordinated. It always seemed to make the competitive students around her extremely angry, to the point where Tati would always be the lasted picked for everything.

And it seemed like once again her unhealthy past haunted her mockingly.

"Good morning my dear," a sudden voice abruptly broke through Tati's thoughts. The girl instinctively stiffen, her hazel eyes darting up to find that it was simply Gandalf chatting to her, a coaxing smile resting on his chapped lips.

"O-oh, yes, good m-morning," she stuttered softly, her heart still racing rapidly as it tried to recover from the shock wave that Gandalf's surprise had given her. She then attempted to offer him a small smile of her own, though it came more out as grimace as her body was still internally going haywire.

"It would be in your best interest to get some food soon; Thorin can get very stingy about wasting precious daylight, and he will want to move out very soon," the wizard informed softly when his wise eyes caught sight of her rigid muscles. Knowing he must've startled her, Gandalf reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder gently, disregarding the fact that her shoulder went stiff again. A coaxing smile lied upon his chapped lips, his understanding eyes gazing down at her. "I apologize. I did not mean to frighten you."

"It's o-okay… I w-was just lost in m-my own thoughts," Tati admitted rather sheepishly, a light pink sprinkling onto her cheeks.

His smile seemed to grow wider at seeing her blush, and after giving her shoulder a single pat in a comforting manner, he left her once again to her thoughts, heading over to finish packing up his own horse.

Sighing softly to herself, she considered Gandalf's words as she glanced over at the small group who ate by the morning fire, her eyes catching sight of both Dwalin and Kili, as well as some others she did not know the names of. Tati instantly felt her anxiety inside rise tenfold at the vision before her, both her social angst and shyness taking control of her actions as mentally decided to skip breakfast for the day.

 _It's just for today,_ Tati's mind convinced herself, as if it was the proper thing to do, ignoring that in light she was actually _scared_ to go over there; interaction with others had never been her strong suit. _Besides, they need it more than I do… they work more than I do, and they need the energy. It's not like I deserve that much food anyways with how little I commit for the company,_ her thoughts continued gravely, and after shaking her head lightly, the black haired girl rid her mind of the dark, shadowy thoughts that had started to take over.

Instead, Tati tucked her bedroll under her arm, and headed over to the pony she and Dwalin shared, unaware that the said burly dwarf was intensely gazing at her, his fierce eyes taking in her every move, her every expression. Though his eyes held no suspicion like it would've had if she had been any other; he was just simply watching her from afar, almost as if he was mentally making sure that she was doing alright.

After stuffing the bedroll into her satchel, Tati securely clipped the bag shut, lightly smiling to herself at her work. Glancing up, Tati found none other than Bilbo Baggins himself a couple feet away, who offered his own awkward smile as he too was tending to his pony. "A pleasant morning to you," he greeted kindly, his hand sweetly rubbing the neck of his pony.

"G-good morning, Bilbo," the girl answered back, her signature timid smile making its appearance once more.

Before anything else could be said, it was in that moment that Thorin's booming voice broke through the rather peaceful atmosphere that had settled over the camp, immediately bringing everyone's attention onto the dwarven king as he spoke. "Finish up what you're doing, we need to be heading out now," he ordered to everyone tensely. Almost as if war had suddenly came upon them, the company rushed to instantly finish up whatever they were doing, whether it had been eating or packing up, and it seemed as if the camp was cleared out in within seconds of his announcement.

For some odd reason, the sight caused Tati to inwardly smile to herself, her eyes filling with a fond understanding. _No matter who they are, or how they may act, it seems that this quest means the world to each and every one of them,_ she pondered to herself lightly before pulling back to reality.

Sending one last sheepish smile towards the hobbit, Tati reached over the frame of the pony and attempted to get back onto the animal. Her face soon became aflame with a cherry red tint when she realized her muscles were too weak and worn to actually fully pull herself up. They strained against every movement, even the slightest twitch, and the girl nearly groaned in both shamefulness and embarrassment. Settling her foot once more into the holder, Tati started to push her lithe form up, her limbs struggling to hold on long enough to pull her up.

"Here lass," Dwalin said from behind the small girl and it was all she heard before Tati felt meaty hands grab her petite hips. The panic that she usually felt when someone touched her didn't set get a chance to set in before the same hands pushed her body up all the way, and before she knew it, both of Tati's sore legs were settled against either side of the pony.

Still slightly shocked, Tati looked over to find Dwalin quickly settling in closely behind her, grabbing the reigns of the pony from around her form. As she nibbled her bottom lip (her face somehow managing to turn redder than it already was), she released a shaky breath, her mortification eating up her insides with gusto.

"Let's head out," the dwarven king commanded, and with that, the company moved along behind him.

Afterwards a silence filled the air, and for once, Tati felt rather uncomfortable with it. Her mind kept replaying the embarrassment she felt (still feels) over and over like a broken record. And due to this, somehow, her cheeks managed to keep their rosy hue. Because her mind was still locked onto the shame she felt earlier, she remained completely oblivious to the fact that her and her dwarven riding companion were sitting so close, that he could faintly see the pink still tinting her fair skinned cheeks. Tati also remained unaware of all the new and upcoming emotions that suddenly took the said dwarf as he caught the sight of her, an inner turmoil rising in his chest.

Instead he dismissed it; like usual.

"Are you alright lass," Dwalin asked from behind her, his gruff voice breaking her from her current humiliation.

"Y-yes, I'm f-fine," she lied quickly, however she always had been a terrible liar; even she could hear the falseness in her voice. A new realization dawned on her that she really didn't like lying to this person that has treated with such kindness the past two days, (one she was so unused to; especially by the male gender) and with that the truth soon came slipping out. "Act-tually I f-feel a little e-embarrassed that I couldn't get onto the pony today," Tati admitted sheepishly, her head instinctively tilting down submissively.

A small uncomfortable pause filled the air, something that instantly filled the petite girl with dread as she anxiously waited for him to speak. Thankfully it didn't last too long before his rough accent filled the void once more.

"… It's nothing to be ashamed of lass," he answered back, his voice strangely softer than it had ever been as his usual hard, steely eyes eased while he gazed at her. "The first time I rode a pony was when I was a wee lad. I was forced to ride an entire day to get used to the feels' of it. I remember afterwards I was so sore I childishly thought to myself that I would never ride a pony again for as long as I lived. But after a while I got used to it, and so will you in time. It's all about letting ye' body adjust."

His rather soothing voice almost lightning quick caused her body to go lax, her dainty back subconsciously resting against the dwarf's firm chest. Unbeknownst to her, he stiffened on instinct, and like what had happened last time they rode, his heart started to race rapidly in his chest, pounding against the confines of his bones.

A long silence filled the air, before soft words escaped Tati's lips.

"… Thank y-you Dwalin," she answered genuinely, quiet enough that the words could only be heard between to the two.

The drums in Dwalin's chest jumped.

He… _liked_ it.

He didn't know what, but the burly dwarf liked it. A lot.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait, as well as the short update. I just couldn't figure out how to extend it, but no matter what I did I just liked the chapter the way it was. I have the next chapter in process so don't fret:3_

 _To Thilbo4Ever_ _: Thank you for understand, and yes writers block is very troublesome. Hopefully the fluff in this chapter will make it up._

 _To raeshell_ _: Thank you lots!_

 _To angel 897_ _: Thank you hopefully you'll like this chapter as well._

 _To Kelwtim2spar_ _: Thank you, sorry for the long wait._

 _To BloodyTink_ _: Yeah I didn't want there to be major conflict of jealousy so much in the beginning of the fanfic, especially since Tati still needs some healing and it would just worsen her. There will be some jealousy later, but it won't be major concepts of the story._

 _To JulieFanfic:_ _Thank you lots, and your English is actually pretty good so good job! I am currently learning Spanish and my teacher told me I have a tendency to cave-man talk lol. So you're doing much better than I could._

 _To Karybear1_ _: Thank you once more! Hope you like this chapter as well._

 _To Evelyn Elizabeth 214_ _: Same! There are not a lot out there, and not to be mean, but the ones I found aren't exactly my cup of tea. I just didn't really get into to them._

 _To TikiKiki_ _: Haha thank you!_

 _To MaggYme:_ _Sorry for the wait._

 _To FilisGirl251:_ _Thank you!_

 _To Sophia Kaiba_ _: yeah I don't know why there aren't a lot of Dwalin stories. To be honest when I was watching the Hobbit I instantly liked him better then Kili, Fili, and Thorin. I don't know why everyone is centered around those three, but hey everyone has different tastes. I guess I just prefer burly ;)_

 _To Christmas 95_ _: I am super glad you are liking my story, and I'm glad I haven't made Dwalin OOC at all. :3 About them kissing… well yeah that won't happen till around the middle of the story. I don't want to frustrate you guys and put it near the end (that really bugs me when authors do that), but due to what Tati has been through she needs time to heal and recover and so it won't be for a while._


	12. Chapter 12 Misery for a Moment

**Chapter Twelve**

 **Misery for a Moment**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Days passed along long and seemingly always the same. The company would spend the entire day riding and making meals for when it was time to eat while they chatted and laugh amongst themselves, but they didn't do much more. Tati grew to know that Thorin really hated wasting precious daylight hours, for he mentioned it all the time it seemed, but it was understandable; they all had waited so long for this moment, so of course they were quite anxious. On the other hand, much to Tati's delight, the riding had gotten easier just as her burly dwarven riding partner had said. At the end of the day her muscles did not ache or flare up with pain at the smallest movements like they had when she first started out. Though Tati must admit, walking around a bit after riding for hours at a time did feel very nice and soothing for her stiff bones.

However despite the pleasantness she was feeling as she became more accustomed to the long rides, the black haired girl was not feeling very well. Her social anxiety and shyness made her hesitant to join in on the meals with the boisterous dwarves. Tati often sat away from them, sometimes sheepishly gazing at them from afar, but still too nervous to approach the loud group of males. And so the only times she really ate was when Bilbo or Gandalf came striding up to her with an extra bowl of food they had gotten for her, or when Dwalin knew for a fact she hadn't eaten yet, and forced the girl to sit down and eat.

However, the day before Tati only had bit and pieces, last night she skipped dinner, and this morning she had managed to skirt around breakfast and so currently she was sporting a pounding headache due to her lack of food and water.

It was the worst headache Tati had ever experienced, and she felt as if her skull was about to split into two with how much it seem to drum within her head. It didn't help her stomach was very upset with how empty it was, making her feel as if she was about to vomit all day. Near the end of the ride Tati had been feeling nauseous, and dizzy, and occasionally she found herself lightly massaging her temples in a vain attempt to lessen the pain. She, of course, tried to hide it from Gandalf, Dwalin, and Bilbo, who always make their concern known by constantly asking if she had eaten or if she was fairing fine. Tati didn't want to trouble them, so instead she gave them her signature meek smiles and stated she was okay.

Glancing up at the starry night sky, Tati sighed lightly, her body slumping against the tree she currently laid against. She was extremely happy that it was night time, hoping that a good night's rest would help her ill nature. _Sleep usually helps most of time,_ Tati though idly to herself as she tilted her head to gaze up at the stars. _I can't let this control me; I have to be in the best condition possible. Gandalf is looking after me, and I am here for him, it wouldn't do well for me to suddenly get sick and have this whole mission be jeopardized; he deserves everything after all the kindness he has shown me._

Before the girl could continue to delve into her thoughts, a heavy body placing itself next to her own form brought Tati out of her haze. Snapping her attention towards the dwarf who sat next to her, she found that it was, of course, Dwalin, who was carrying two bowls of tonight's stew in his meaty hands. Giving him a timid smile, she lightly moved over so that they could share the large trunk of the tree.

"Here ye are lassie," Dwalin said gruffly, handing over the steaming bowl into her dainty hands, a stern look residing in his usually indifferent eyes. "And I want to see all of that gone; I know you missed breakfast this morning."

Lowering her head submissively, Tati nodded in understanding, accepting the warm stew. "Thank y-you," she stuttered softly, though despite her obvious sheepishness, she felt her smile brighten a little bit, though it still contained its usual meekness.

Dwalin grunted back, though his softened eyes strayed on the girl a moment too long before he glanced away, jumping into his own dinner as well. A comfortable silence settled between the two as they continued to eat, and all the while Tati suppressed a moan of joy for she could feel her headache start to lessen and the upset in her belly start to deteriorate.

However, her pleasantness was ripped apart when a piercing screech tore throw the air, causing the girl to jump in shock and tense. She had never heard such a sound be made before, and the fact that she still had yet to meet and know the many dangerous, dark creatures of this new world deeply terrified her. The sound itself was definitely inhuman and rather bloodcurdling as well; it sent freezing shivers down her spine. Her eyes widened as she grew on edge, taking in the tight and serious postures of those around her.

"Wha-what was that?" Bilbo nearly exclaimed, the hobbit glancing around fearfully as well.

"Orcs," Kili stated seriously, his normally playful eyes seriously boring into the halfling in front of him.

"Orcs?" The Baggins continued questioningly, looking curiously between his fellow companions.

"Aye throat cutters they are. They roam during the night looking for a pretty throat to slice right open." Fili stated. Or at least she believed it was Fili; her avoidance of the majority of the company made their names unknown to her.

"They like to attack families or groups, circling them like wolves, and when the moment comes, they rip them to shreds." Kili continued on in an eerie coo, unknowingly not only scaring Bilbo, but the black haired girl as well.

And as Bilbo stared fearfully at them, looking to be on the verge of passing out, the two brothers busted out in chuckles, clearly finding the young male's discomfort humorous. Tati glanced away as she heard their laughs fill the tense air, feeling tears start to prick the back of her eyes for she too had fallen for their cruel antics. Dealing with humiliation was something Tati had always struggled with, especially in school and at her house; many times she tried to overcome it, but her heart was too soft, and in the end she always felt that oh so familiar feeling of being on the verge of tears. Though after many years of struggling, she had managed to always keep them at bay, never letting those building of droplets touch her cheeks for it was just too vulnerable than what she would like.

In a desperate need to feel a bit more secure, Tati wrapped her arms around herself, cowering into herself. She was so enwrapped with her current humiliation that she didn't notice that a certain burly dwarf was staring steadily at her, a rare expression of concern flashing in his eyes.

The girl tensed as she felt a hand place itself on her shoulder, but Tati instantly relaxed when she saw it was only Dwalin offering her comfort. Forcing a shy, grateful smile, she tried to ignore the unshed tears as she had done many times before, for once allowing a male to touch her longer than she was usually comfortable with. However, Tati watched with worry, and just a bit of fear, as Dwalin glared over at the two brothers, looking as if he was about to walk over there any second and throttle the two.

But before the warrior dwarf could truly show the two youngsters of what he is capable of, the leader of the company beat him to it, storming his way over to his nephews. "You think it's just some _joke_ , that all those lives taken by those foul creatures is just some _joke_?" Thorin growled heatedly, his sharp eyes boring holes into both Kili and Fili.

"…I'm sorry uncle… we didn't mean anything by it," Kili answered back softly, lowering his head slightly as shame filled both him and his elder brother.

"Of course you didn't. You know _nothing_ of the world," Thorin spat, causing his nephews to flinch as they felt the heat of his wrath. After glaring steadily at the two young dwarves for another couple of moments, he stormed away in a desperate need to cool off before he said something that he would regret to two of the most important people in his life.

As Thorin walked away Dwalin very softly tightened his grip on Tati's shoulder in a coaxing manner. After a long moment's hesitation, Tati gingerly reached up and placed her own dainty hand on top of his, her heart thrumming against the confines of her chest as she felt his hand, ever so slightly, shift so that their hands were sort of clasped together, their fingers cupping each other. To many it would seem like nothing, but to Tati, it was very intimate, and if she hadn't been so comfortable around Dwalin, she would've felt extremely on edge and uneasy. What Tati didn't know, was that the dwarf next to her was feeling exactly the same, his own heart rapidly drumming.

"Don't mind him laddies," a voice broke into the strained air, belonging to an older dwarf who the girl believed his name was Balin. "Thorin has a very unpleasant past involving orcs, and knows what terrors those dark creatures can bring. It would be wise not to make light of orcs while around Thorin."

"What happened?" Bilbo instantly jumped in, his extreme curiosity making itself known.

Balin then jumped into the horrific tale, one with a prince who lost some of his family in a battle against raiding orcs. The older dwarf told of how Thorin fought bravely near the end despite only have a piece of bark to protect himself. It reminded Tati of the story of David and Goliath; how one was all muscle and strength, while the other was mere boy who had no fighting experience what so ever; one had a huge advantage, while the other was serving disadvantaged. Though Tati did not know much about Thorin, and if she was to be honest she was a little fearful of him, but she did feel a sense of awe for what that male did, for not giving up in the end despite all the odds being against him.

"… And what happened to the pale orc," the hobbit then questioned after Balin's tale, completely immersed into the story.

"The creature sunk back into the hole in which he came from, and eventually died from his wounds. The pale orc is no more," Thorin broke in rigidly, and from his clenched jaw and tightened fists it appeared the pale orc was a very sensitive subject for the dwarven king. "I believe it's time for all of us to sleep now so that we can be well rested for tomorrow. I shall take the first watch, Nori, you will be after me."

Tati sighed softly, her hand slipping off of Dwalin's as she went to lie on her bed roll, which of course, was right next to the burly dwarf's. And as she laid there, her mind softly sliding into the peaceful arms of slumber, she was unaware of the longing, concerned eyes that stared at her back, belonging to the person right next to her.

OOO

 _She was beyond humiliated. The all very familiar feeling of tear started to itch at her eyes, causing the girl to take hefty deep breaths in order to calm down her raging shame. It was moments like these that reminded her just how much she had fallen; just how hard she had hit rock bottom. Just how hard her mother had hit rock bottom; after all, why would any normal, caring, loving mother ever let something like this happen to her own daughter? And yet, here she was, her cheeks aflame with mortification, her once cheerful hazel eyes now filled with misery and self loathing._

" _What's with the look my dear," she heard him coo, feeling his disgusting fingers tightly grip her chin as he forced her to look up at him. She hated looking at him; his face reminded her of everything she lost. After he stared at her for a long time, his eyes taking in her entire form, he finally spoke again. "Ah, I see. You don't see just how beautiful you are, my precious Tatiana. Come here, look in the mirror with me," he demanded more than he asked, his eyes lighting up with pleasure at how she immediately followed his demands, standing in front of the vanity mirror._

 _The man's hands roamed her bared body as she stared blankly forward at herself; with the mixture of his putrid hands and the image of her body she felt anything but beautiful. He had forced her into one of the many lingerie's that he had gotten for her, and made her wear it for the entire day as punishment for hiding herself away in her room when he wanted to have some "bonding" time. And so here she was, scantily clad like some common stripper while the man who destroyed her life leered at her._

 _What made it worse was that her once amazing mother was in the other room, heavily drinking while watching some TV, completely aware of what this man was doing to her daughter._

" _Don't you see how gorgeous you are? You don't, do you… ah well, I guess I'll just have to show you," he said, appearing anything but sad as his tone had suggested._

 _She felt sick to her stomach, she was always feel sick to anything involving him, as he commanded her to lie on the couch, gripping the edges of her thong and slowly pulling them off of her hips. She may have gotten used to it, but the feeling of humiliation, and disgust never left the girl._

 _That night she internally cried as the man violated her body and even after she was left alone in her room. But never once did she allow those burning tears to fall down her smooth cheeks._

OOO

The second the black haired girl had woken up she knew it was going to be a miserable day, for the second she opened her hazel colored eyes, a small droplet hit her cheek. She then had glanced up to find that the sky was shadowed with multiple clusters of gray clouds, and though Tati may love the rain, she didn't fancy having to travel in it all day. Mix that with the nightmare she had last night, Tati quickly found herself in a sorrowful mood.

And just like how she predicted, it rained; all day.

Currently, as she sat atop her pony, her riding partner right behind, thick and heavily rain poured down upon the company, receiving miserable grunts and curses from the dwarfs in retaliation. Everyone was getting tired and sluggish due to the heavy pour, and it seemed to put everyone in a very sour mood, that is, except for Gandalf, who seemed to be completely fine with his soaking robes.

Tati, on the other hand, was not as used to traveling all day in extreme weather, and so she could not stop shivering while the rest of the company did not show outward signs of their own coldness. And while her new clothes may be more suited for weather conditions than her original ones, they were not thick enough to keep the rain from soaking her to her bones. That left Tati shivering violently, and desperately tried to keep her teeth from chattering loudly. _Why… it had being going so well,_ Tati thought sadly to herself, referring to both the horrible start to the day, as well as the rain that seemed to be the cherry on top of everything.

"Gandalf, could you do something about this pour?!" One of the dwarves yelled miserably over the loud, thundering storm.

"I cannot control the weather master Gloin. The weather does as it pleases and will continue to rain until there is no rain left to fall," Gandalf answered back calmly, seemingly undisturbed by the down pour as much of the company grumbled hatefully in response.

"… Are there any other wizards out there?" Bilbo asked questioningly, from the back, the only other person who didn't seem as bothered of the rain.

"Why yes, there four others excluding myself. There is Saruman the White, and then there are two blues… you know, I can't quite recall what their names are at the moment."Gandalf pondered lightly to himself.

"And who is the last one?"

"Ah that would be Radagast the Brown."

"Is he a good wizard, or is he more like you?" The hobbit then asked innocently, not noticing the offended huff that escaped the wizard's mouth. Tati smiled softly to herself as she heard that, for Bilbo was anything but naïve and so to hear this rare display of naivety was something that caused Tati's heart to become a little warmer than it had been before.

"… I think Radagast is a great wizard. Though he is known for preferring the company of animals to humans," the older male answered offhandedly, after recovering his wits for a second.

Though before Tati could hear the rest of the conversation with a suddenly lifted heart, she was broken away from their conversation as a voice whispered into her ear, causing the girl to instinctually freeze for a moment.

"You are soaked to the bone lassie," Dwalin said huskily from behind her, the slightest bit of worry shining in his tone. It was only then that the girl had realized she had been violently shivering against him the entire time, having forgot about her riding companion for a second.

Shifting against his chest, Tati stared at her lap with a light blush burning on her cheeks. "I-I'm just mostly un-unused to traveling this much i-in the cold," she partly lied softly as her fingers started to fiddle nervously, for she knew they both knew just how horrible she was at lying.

"Hm," Dwalin grunted, as if he wasn't completely convinced, which most likely, he wasn't. Without another word the burly dwarf reached around her with the corners of his thick fur coat and placed them around the girl, encasing her against his own warm dry body as they body sat underneath the coat. Instantly the fur coat shielded Tati completely from the rain; not even a small droplet managing to sink through.

Immediately, Tati felt refreshed with no longer feeling the constant down pour of the rain, and sighed with ease. Without even thinking, Tati's body relaxed against Dwalin's, while she turned her head slightly to smile timidly at him, feeling soothed with his touch while others touch only made her sick and uncomfortable. "Thank you, Dwalin," she whispered genuinely; unaware of the effect she was having on the once cold hearted and completely indifferent dwarf as they continued to ride along with a comfortable silence filing the air.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Thank you to everyone for following/favoriting/reviewing! By the way when I do flashbacks, they're for a important reason; in that flashback I wanted to show why Tati has such an animosity for humiliation; why it's harder for her to deal with it than others. Anyway hope you all have a great Christmas or whatever you believe. :3 And for those in the US, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving._

 _To Kelwtim2spar_ _: Don't worry, I will never give up on this story; it would be extremely unfair to all you readers out there._

 _To Christmas 95_ _: Yeah the kissing and courting will be waiting a while, but I promise it will happen halfway around the time this story is finished; but it will take a lot of time for Tati. And thank you!:3_

 _To denisemurasaki7_ _: thank you!_

 _To Thilbo4Ever_ _: Its okay lol, I actually thought it was kind of funny. Hope you enjoy this chapter; I had a couple moments of writers block when writing this but it didn't last very long, thankfully._

 _To angel897_ _: Thank you!_

 _To xXtryingXx_ _: Thank you, please enjoy!_

 _To Mariana Lestrange_ _: No, thank you, and please enjoy this chapter. Also I love your name! The Lestranges are my favorite dark family in Harry Potter_

 _To Emrfangirl_ _: Thank you, glad you liked it._

 _To raeshell_ _: Hoped you enjoyed it, and all the little cute moments of Tati/Dwalin._

 _To starrienight_ _: Yeah, I mean no offense to those authors, but their Dwalin stories just aren't my cup of tea. And since Dwalin is my favorite I just had to do my own story based around him!_

 _To hettledettle_ _: I'm glad you picked up on that! I wanted to do the "One" sort of story but do it so they were meant to be together but wouldn't realized until time had passed instead it being an instant feeling. This way they wouldn't feel obliged to be with one another._

 _To Tempest1444_ _: That will be a surprised, but we'll definitely be seeing a lot of protective Dwalin during that time._

 _To Guest_ _: Thanks!_

 _To snm1_ _: Thank you!_

 _To Ashmo21_ _: Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _To emilyjane138_ _: Ah sorry it's been a while; enjoy the chapter!_


	13. Chapter 13 A Step Backwards

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **A Step Backwards**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Days seem to pass rather slowly, mostly due to the fact that they were always usually the same ole day being repeated over and over, which Tati was both thankful and unthankful for. She was thankful that it meant they had yet to run into any type of trouble (which the black haired girl was still dreading about; she'd rather not run into the horrendous monsters known as orcs, where simply saying it's name seemed to cause shivers to those from this world), and yet she was also unthankful. The long, tiring ride left her alone with her mind and thoughts, the dark corners of her head forcing her to relive every horrible moment of her past life. Tati would constantly remind herself that she was far away from _their_ clutches, but that never seemed to completely settle her warring mind.

She was thankful when occasionally one of the dwarves would joke about something, or tell a merry story, but for the most part the ride stayed silent. This the girl found strange, considering they were usually loud and playful whenever they stopped to make camp; though Tati wasn't complaining. Whenever they were rambunctious and acting mad always made her nervous and on edge, usually cowering into herself to remain some sort of stability.

But the silence, the disturbing thoughts and memories running through her head, was too much for her soft heart, and as hours passed Tati could feel herself grow more and more… dull, in spirit at least. Like she was wasting away in this endless sea of wilderness.

 _It's sort of like back in my own world… I had been wasting away there too before I can here…_ She thought idly to herself, grabbing onto her clothed forearm that covered secrets she had never spoken of but was always aware of.

A part of Tati knew that all she needed to do was strike up a conversation with Gandalf, Bilbo, or Dwalin (whom had never once been unkind to her), and yet her anxiety always caused her to shy away. Despite her closeness to them she just couldn't find the strength in herself to open her mouth, her anxiety would leap into her body just at _the thought_ of striking up a conversation. And even as she tried to gain the courage, her heart would beat brutally against the confines of her chest, her skin would start to sweat profusely, and Tati would just give up altogether.

And the silence would resume after the pounding echoing in her ears from her frantic organ finally started to dwindle down.

Kili, however, had tried to make small talk with her a couple days earlier.

He strode up to her and her riding partners pony, his usual mischievous grin curling at his lips as he spoke to her. But instead of replying meekly and with a stutter, and instead of gratitude filling her withering soul, Tati gave him half hearted silent response's, either nodding or shaking her head as she cowered against Dwalin's chest. The humiliation from the night that Kili and his blonde haired brother had played that rather cruel joke on Bilbo (and indirectly on herself) still stung. And now Tati has been attempting to do all she can do to stay as far away from the twins as possible; a part of her was afraid that they would only mock her again.

The words _leave me alone! Please, go away! Leave me alone, please…_ repeated over and over in her mind, wishing nothing more at the moment than for the young brunette dwarf to just leave her alone.

And Kili had noticed that, for after a couple hours of trying to get her to respond, as well as a couple hours of Dwalin shooting his fierce glares that warned the dwarf that he wasn't welcome, Kili eventually strutted off. His shoulders slumped and his expression guilt-ridden as he resumed his spot next to his brother's side. And despite the fact that Tati felt bad for Kili, for he had been trying hard and he had _seem_ genuinely nice in the beginning, she couldn't help but feel relieved, giving the burly dwarf behind her a meek, extremely small smile of gratitude.

She was unaware just how much that small smile warmed him inside. How it made his chest puff slightly in pride against her back.

And now, after another uneventfully long day, Thorin was trying to figure out the perfect spot to rest for the night, for the sun was very close to setting. And with the possibility of orcs nearby the dwarven king didn't want to take the chance of trudging through the night, completely blind to the pitch black void that came with the night time.

OOO

The company didn't stop until they came across a small, demolished cottage with debris lining the area; it reminded Tati of the homes after a hurricane had rampaged through. Though, there was something odd about this "cottage;" the destruction seemed… fresh, like it had only happened a couple weeks ago at the most.

"We'll stop here for camp," the dwarven king called out, deeming the area suitable for the night, despite the obvious destruction. The gray clothed wizard, on the other hand, seemed to think otherwise, a frown drooping at his lips, causing worry to spike into Tati.

 _I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels something off with this place,_ she frowned. _Hopefully it's just our imagination…_

Slowly moving off of her pony, the girl shyly made her way over to Gandalf's side, her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity and concern. The wizard was currently staring deeply at the run down cottage, hesitance in his aged eyes. "A farmer and his family used to live here…" he murmured to himself, loud enough that the small girl next to him heard every word, which caused Tati to flinch beside him. She bit her lip, wrapping her arms tightly around her lithe waist as she stared into the rubble; she couldn't help but feel sorrowful for the family that had died in whatever had caused this destruction.

"I believe it would be wise if we moved along," the gray wizard called over to Thorin, certainty in his hefty voice.

"And why, exactly, would we do that? We do not have enough sunlight to go search for a new camping grounds." Thorin stated back almost defensively, his icy eyes flashing angrily. Despite the action not being directed towards her, Tati still winced at the gleam in his eyes; she had learned quickly that the royal did not like to be questioned.

"A family of Man used to live here. Something must have of come through here very recently that caused all of this. It would be in our best interests to continue moving along, for we might just run into that very thing." Gandalf informed.

"Then it would be safer for us to stay; if the creatures have already been through then us moving forward will only increase our chances of running into it. Besides, how do we even know we'll find another camping spot soon? It could take hours and then there would be no question as to whether or not we will be stuck in the dark, wandering around like vulnerable babes!"

"How do we even know that those creatures won't come back? I tell you Thorin Oakenshield, we must move forward!" Gandalf finally demanded, quickly losing his temper after a long, tedious day of riding that wore on his nerves.

"I am the leader of this company, and I say that we will stay here for the night!" The king snapped back.

The gray wizard threw his arms in the air with a huff of frustration, before turning on his heel and storming through the camp, grumbling curses directed towards stubborn dwarves and their stubborn ways. Tati immediately felt uneasiness as she watched one of the few people she felt close to in this company walk storm away; the very person she was the sole reason of being here. For she was here for Gandalf, to repay everything he's ever done for her, and here he was, striding out of the camp coiled up with fury.

Without another thought, Tati quickly followed after him, her clumsy and rather tiny legs struggling to keep up with the much taller wizard.

"G-Gandalf-" she barely stuttered out in a soft, and almost raspy voice, before someone else had interrupted her, ruining her chance to pacify the older male.

"Gandalf?! Where are you going?" Bilbo exclaimed questioningly, as he chased after the older male, his short legs struggling as well.

"I'm going to spend some time with the only person with common sense in this camp!"

"And who might that be," the hobbit asked.

"Myself, Master Baggins!" Gandalf yelled furiously, causing the halfling to lurch back in shock, while the girl next to him froze, both of their feet rooted to the ground in complete bewilderment as the usually calm wizard stormed away from camp, disappearing into the forest life.

After a pause of complete silence from the spat that had ensued, Bilbo turned to the person frozen next to him. Worry overtaking him.

Despite the fact that Gandalf was one of the few that Bilbo, too, felt comfortable around, his immediate concern was of that of Tati; knowing how quickly the girl grew uncomfortable and fearful of a person from the smallest instance. And looking now into her hazel eyes that had yet to stray from where the wizard had disappeared, he could see a glaze of fear in them, knowing it was from the way Gandalf had exploded violently at them. Placing a hand on her stiffened shoulder, he felt even worse when she flinched away from him, the terror growing more apparent.

"C'mon," Bilbo ushered softly, as if he was consoling a small child. "Let's go take care of the ponies for the night."

"Y-y-yes," Tati agreed quickly, cowering even more into herself as she followed behind the hobbit over to where the ponies resided, unaware of the concerned eyes that traced her every movement.

OOO

Tati nearly smiled as the pony's tongue accidently touched her hand as it accepted the apple in her palm, the rough muscle tickling her hand. Despite the light atmosphere that had grown as she and Bilbo cared for the gentle creatures, she couldn't help but still ponder over the gray wizard. A small bit of fear still resided from his outburst earlier, but now, Tati was mostly worried about him.

From time to time she would anxiously glance over to where he had disappeared, thinking… hoping… _wishing_ that she would soon see his powerful, towering form appear out of the darkness. But hours had passed, and Tati had yet to see her good friend.

 _I thought he would be back by now_ , she sighed, running her fingers along the pony's long mane. _I hope he's doing okay…_

"Are you done with Minty, Tati?" Bilbo asked her kindly, breaking her out of her thoughts while giving her a smile. He was still careful around her, she noticed, and she felt touched that he noticed and cared about her feelings. She brushed her fingertips lightly against his arm, before quickly pulling away with a sheepish smile.

It was her way of thanking Bilbo for being so understanding, and from the way he softly nodded back, she knew he understood.

"Y-yes," She nodded to his earlier question, before blushing when Bilbo complimented her on the good work she did on Minty.

"Well then, since they are all fed, let's go get ourselves some dinner," he said with a satisfied tone, ushering the girl along knowing that she skipped meals often. It worried him, especially considering how small she was, while being short wasn't an issue (even if she was the same height as him), the issue was how skinny she had been and how even skinnier she had gotten. Some days the girl looked downright sickly, and he worried that if she skipped any more meals, one of these days he was going to wake up, only to find Tati _unable_ to wake up.

"Here ye' go," Bombur (which Tati had eventually learned) greeted, handing the two of them bowls filled with steaming stew.

Bilbo nodded his thanks, while Tati offered a weak smile in return.

"What's up with you two? You've been quiet all night, and you've been acting like someone died." Bofur commented with raised brows.

"We're just worried about Gandalf, is all," Bilbo answered instantly, his dark eyes darting over to where the said wizard had disappeared earlier.

"Gandalf's a pretty mighty wizard; he can take care of himself." The dwarf with a goofy hat stated, before moving towards the pot of stew and filing up two more bowls. "Here, take this to the laddies. They're on guard duty and haven't eaten yet; maybe this might help take your mind off of Gandalf. They're over there, on the edge of camp." Bofur handed the bowls off to a hesitant Bilbo and Tati, pointing over to where two crouched figures were looking out into the distance.

The two shared a quick glance, neither liking the siblings a whole lot, for like Tati, Bilbo was also a bit angry at the whole orcs incident a couple nights earlier. Sighing, and with a quick pat between the girl's shoulder blades, the hobbit headed off, with Tati warily following behind.

"Fili, Kili… what are you two up to?" The hobbit asked sternly but with a hint of curiosity, noticing how the two young dwarfs stared wide eyed at the ponies, appearing as if they were about to get a scolding.

"We're supposed to be watching the ponies," Kili commented in a hushed voice, after taking a quick glance around to make sure everyone else was out of ear shot.

"There's fourteen of them, including Gandalf's horse, but we only counted twelve," Fili continued, his eyes darting apprehensively around the thick woods that surrounded them. "Which means, we're missing two of them."

"We couldn't find Daisy and Petunia anywhere, and we searched around until…" Kili trailed off, and after another small glance towards him uncle and the rest of the company, he grabbed Tati's arm, ignoring the way she froze like ice under his touch, while his blonde haired brother latched onto Bilbo. Without an explanation, the brothers pulled the wary duo farther away from camp, though they didn't get far until a booming voice penetrated their ear drums.

The girl's eyes widened dramatically with uncensored fear, aggressively ripping away from the brunettes hold as she took a step back in horror. She had yet to see one of the monsters that Gandalf had warned her of, and now she was finally face to face with them. Finally seeing what exactly made those creatures so dangerous.

And Tati was completely unprepared and unconditionally terrified.

A trio of monstrous sized trolls was huddling around a fire, with the two missing ponies tied away at the side of their camp. And from the pot of boiling water and their rumbling bellies, those two ponies were about to become the troll's dinner.

Placing her dainty hand over her parted lips, Tati stood completely still, absolutely petrified at the sight. She had lived in a city for nearly her entire life, and so she had never even seen a big animal before; in fact, landing in Middle Earth was the very first time she saw a deer. And now in front of her, was the biggest creature she could ever imagine, bigger than any animal that walked the earth in her old world. And they were _hungry_ and easily able to crush her skull with the slightest pinch of their fingers.

"Hey, it's not that bad," Kili said with a goofy grin as he caught sight of the hobbit's and the girl's twin looks of terror. "Troll's are as dumb as a bag of rocks, and they're extremely slow. And well… since you Baggins are on this company as our official burglar, so we thought that you could help us out." At the incredulously expression Bilbo gave him, Kili smiled good-heartedly.

"All we're asking is that you release the ponies, while we keep watch and make sure that you don't get caught."

"And we'll be right behind you," Fili assured quickly as he pushed against Bilbo's back, ushering him closer to the troll's camp. "And if you get into any trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl."

 _They're… they're just going to let him go alone?!_ Tati thought to herself with disbelief, worry for her friend over taking her. _I can't let him go alone… he's been so kind to me, I have to repay him._ Gulping down the rising bile in her throat, the hazel eyed girl rushed over to where Bilbo stood as the brothers started to head away, cringing as her feet landed loudly and ungracefully against the ground while running towards him.

She gave the older male a meek smile, before the duo ducked under a bush as one of the trolls spoke out.

"What was tha'?" One the trolls asked, glancing around; having obviously heard the twigs snapping underneath Tati's clumsy feet.

Another troll, the largest of the group, grabbed a torch and headed to the area where Tati and Bilbo hid, shining the light around. "… I think it were a animal, must've saw somethin' tha' scared it off." Tati sighed softly as the troll finally stalked off, resting her forehead against her knee's in relief.

"I'm starvin'! Is the water ready yet?" A smaller troll asked, staring anxiously into the pot.

"We're all starvin'! And I'm the cook here, so keep yer grubby hands away from my masta' piece!" The large troll snarled, hitting the smaller troll sharply.

After a second of watching the creatures apprehensively, Bilbo leaned over so that his lips nearly touched Tati's ear. "I'll untie Daisy if you think you can handle untying Petunia." Bilbo whispered, having pushed down his own nervousness for Tati's sake; it would do no good for either of them to be scared, sweaty messes.

"A-and after we un-untie them, how w-will we be able to g-get the ponies a-away without being caught," she asked just as softly.

"… Uh, head straight to the right, where the forest is darker and thicker." He continued unsurely, his words sounding more like a question than an answer. "I think that'll help hide us enough."

"Ok-okay," Tati nodded, crawling after Bilbo through the shrubs and towards the ponies, making sure to be quick before she lost her cool.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and Tati could feel her heart leap into her throat, her body starting to sweat profusely, and she felt as if every movement she made (even the slightest twitch) was so loud that it was only seconds before the trolls caught her and Bilbo.

 _Hurry, hurry, hurry!_ Tati's brain screamed in rush as she finally got to Petunia, her fingertips shaking like a leaf in the wind as she attempted to undo the suddenly complicated knots. She panted, while also attempting to slow her breathing thinking that her breathing was too loud.

Everything was hypersensitive, her heartbeat was suddenly like roaring thunder, the forest floor like a loud siren as she shifted on her heels anxiously (causing small like crunches), and the sound of the rope being tugged was like a booming battle cry.

Then, like a flash of lightning, everything became a soothing chill as the knot finally got undone, and Tati let out a sigh of relief. However, that relief was short lived as she her one of the trolls gasp, "what's this? It came out of me nose!"

Her head jerked in shock as she saw Bilbo caught in the hands of a troll, covered in snot. It was then too late when she realized she must've gasped out rather loudly for the three trolls all looked at her direction at the same.

"Well, what's this I see? Looks like we're goin' to 'ave a mighty feast tonight." The largest troll rumbled with a sneer, his meaty hand making its way over to Tati's unresponsive and completely terrified form.

 **To be continued…**

 _A/N: Hey I know it's been months, I've had some many things came up, have a temporary job, and have been busy with school, but I'm back now. So I don't know why I've been getting this all the time, but_ _ **I will not ever abandon this story**_ _. I've been getting reviews and PM's saying that they're sad that I've abandoned this fanfic and are hoping someone will adopt it soon-.- I love Carved Smiles, I just need time updating it! Even if I had planned on abandoning this story, I would've told you all, but the thing is, I don't plan on ever leaving this fanfic, so none of you need to worry about that!_

 _ **Also, if you would like to keep with the progress of the story, to see if you'll see a new chapter soon, I will be posting progress of chapters I'm working on, on my profile.**_

 _To KiyaNamiel:_ _Thank you, and thank you haha! I'm glad you liked my version of the whole One business. I just wanted it so that they are meant to be together, but it allows them to get to know each other first before suddenly wanting to jump the other. I feel like this would help them grow and become better!:3_

 _To Thilbo4Ever_ _: Thank you, I hope you had a good Christmas (though that was months ago haha now). And I can totally relate with the anxiety as well, it's one of the things I put into Tati's personality that's a part of me. I struggle with it, and some of the things she does to avoid anxiety is what I do._

 _Kelwtim2spar_ _: Hope you'll enjoy this update as well._

 _To angel897:_ _Thanks, and hope you enjoy this chapter._

 _To Jhessill:_ _Haha, I'm glad; please, enjoy the chapter!_

 _To Tempest1444:_ _Thank you:3_

 _To Wolf_ _: Sorry that it's late…_

 _To Guest:_ _I won't give up on this story_ _, and there are other Dwalin/OC stories as well out there but I personally didn't fancy them, but you might!_

 _To denisemurasaki7:_ _Haha, thank you, I'm glad you like it. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

 _To Kirgy5040yahoo_ _: Yeahh, I know it's late, but I hope you enjoy the update._

 _To FlowerChild23_ _: Hope you enjoy the update:3_


	14. Chapter 14 One Step Back, Three Forwards

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **One Step Back, Three Forwards**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Tati's wide, petrified eyes froze onto the largest troll, who held currently held her suddenly extremely puny body in his meaty grasp. And after glancing to the side of her and seeing Bilbo in the exact same predicament as she was in, adrenaline pumped through her veins, prompted by fear, and Tati instinctively pushed at the troll's hand, pathetically attempting to free herself. Though it was all in vain, for the troll was not the least bit affected by her squirming.

In fact, he laughed. "Look at this wittle worm!" He guffawed, the others chuckling along with him.

The only thoughts that entered her mind at that very moment were, _get free, get free, get free!_ It was almost as if she wasn't herself anymore, as if she had taken a step out of her body; as if she wasn't in _control_ anymore. Tati, against her will, found herself struggling, fighting, wiggling within the creatures tight grip, acting more like a caged animal, than a meek, lonely girl.

The trolls laughed at her wiggling. "Aye, quite the wittle worm we've caught." The smallest one chuckled maliciously. The one that held Tati gave her a little shake, which really just thrashed her frail body around, ceasing her struggling.

The powerful shake caused a monstrous dizzy spell to overtake Tati, the word blurring before her eyes and feeling as if her brain had just turned to mush. The girl went limp in the mountain troll's grasp, unable to control her body or thoughts whatsoever as the world seemed to spin. She was completely unaware of the wide, panicked and concerned eyes of her hobbit friend, who, for a moment, believed the troll might've killed her with his roughness on her fragile frame.

"Those two, plus the horses, are goin' ta' make a delicious stew tonight!" The smallest troll squealed excitedly, licking his lips and practically bouncing on his heels like a little kid as he got a better look of the halfling.

Just as Bilbo started to regret helping those evil twins and started to inwardly curse at himself for not just staying home that fated morning, an arrow whizzed past him, barely scraping the top of the one of the troll's beefy shoulders. Much to his relief, Bilbo looked up ot find the entire company standing before the mountain trolls, all their weapons drawn and ready for a battle. "Let them go!" Kili yelled courageously, pulling back another arrow on his bow, trying to appear malicious to the brutish creatures.

Despite the fact that the world was still spinning before her very eyes, the black haired girl managed to turn her head just enough to see the company, her hazel orbs resting on the faint image of a particularly burly dwarf, who had his axe drawn, his hard eyes solely resting on Tati, and Tati only. In spite of the haziness, Tati still managed to see the bit of concern shining in Dwalin's expression, and just barely gave him a meek, wry grin before darkness overtook her vision.

OOO

Dwalin was practically steaming with fury as he stormed over to his bag, grabbing his newly sharpened axe with milky knuckles. He _had_ been enjoying his night, especially after seeing Tati being forcefully given her dinner by Bilbo. This, for some odd, unknown reason, seemed the coax the strange uneasiness that settled over him whenever he saw her skip meals, a feeling that he was starting to accept more and more as the days went by.

However, when Kili and Fili had come running onto camp, telling their uncle about the nearby mountain trolls who had stolen some of the ponies (which told everyone that the brothers had obviously lacked in their duties), and how they sent _Tati and Bilbo_ , of _all_ people, to go retrieve them… well, his happiness plummeted to say the least.

Now, at the moment, all he wanted to do was chop the two brothers into bite sized pieces, seething at their foolishness. But he couldn't, becuase currently, he had something more important to do: save Tati and the hobbit from suffering from the mistakes of two idiotic dwarves.

"C'mon Dwalin, they'll be-" Kili started, but wisely shut his mouth after the burly dwarf gave the younger one a deadly look, daring him to spout out another word. The brunette was fortunately smart enough to see the danger that lurked in Dwalin's eyes, and felt himself unconsciously and fearfully take a step back, away from Dwalin's war path.

Unfortunately, Kili had already said too much, and the image of Tati being smashed by three gigantic mountain trolls caused the warrior to burst.

"You two are complete _imbeciles_!" Dwalin exploded, his steely gaze jumping between the two brothers. "Do you lack commonsense?! And after making such a foolish call like you had I cannot believe you two were even allowed to go on this quest; it's obvious neither of you have any intelligence, nor any commonsense!"

Dwalin's mighty roar echoed throughout the camp, causing a tense silence to fall over the company, some of them feeling a shiver crawl up their backs, but all of which agreed with the burly dwarf's words. This was a call none of them would ever make, for even as dumb as trolls were, they were still overly strong and brutish, and could crush even the mightiest of warriors to pieces.

"Dwalin's right, what you two did was completely reckless and idiotic," Thorin scolded harshly, causing his nephews to flinch. "Gather your weaponry, quick, before the mountain trolls crush them."

And like that everyone jumped into action, grabbing any weapon they could get their hands on before rushing in the direction that Fili and Kili had come from earlier, with Dwalin sprinting in front of the group, his heart filled with an strange fear that he had no time to try to understand at the moment; all he knew was that he _had_ to save _his_ girl.

And despite the adrenaline and the immense fear for Tati muddling his mind, one thought repeated over and over in his mind: _Tati, Tati, Tati._

And the second they came upon the mountain trolls, Dwalin felt his heart leap at seeing the sight of Tati firmly grasped in one of the troll's grips, her eyes hooded and glazed over and her head bobbed side to side, clearly dizzy and weak. This caused the fiery rage he had felt earlier to burn tenfold, all directed at both the trolls and the brothers, who stupidly decided to send two of the most inexperienced of the group to steal from a creature who's only know weakness is sunlight.

"Let them go!" Kili yelled loudly, however it sounded nothing more than a whisper to the burly dwarf ears, who barely acknowledged both the yell and the trio of trolls. No, his eyes fully rested Tati's own eyes. And while her eyes still had a unfocused look, she still managed to look straight at him, and she barely managed to give him one of her signature smiles that Dwalin had grown to enjoy, before fainting, causing his heart to leap.

Without a second thought he leapt into action, instantly going after the troll that was currently holding Tati, desperate to get to the girl that creates strange, but pleasant feelings within him.

Due to being blinded by this sudden unstable and uncontrollable anger that seemed to have popped from nowhere, everything went by in a blur, and before he knew it, Dwalin was stuffed in a bag, lying next to Tati's unconscious and tied up body. The dwarf clenched his jaw, furious at being beaten so easily by such a brainless creature, and furious at himself for getting her into the whole situation. The only thing that kept the stoic Dwalin from screaming out in rage was the fact that Tati was lying beside him, rather than roasting over a patch of flames like some of his comrades were.

But despite this relief, Dwalin couldn't help but steam silently, glad that the black haired girl was knocked out, for he knew that despite how close they had become, his obvious fury would no doubt frighten the tender girl.

 _I should've stayed near her,_ he berated to himself over and over again in his head, his thick body wiggling in the sack with frustration. _If I had just stayed with her, then the lads wouldn't have been able to put her in this situation, and she wouldn't be stuck here._

Dwalin glanced to the right of him, his gaze trailing over Tati, mapping out her knocked out form. For the same odd reason that Dwalin refuses to figure out, Dwalin once more found himself relaxing at the sight of Tati safe (at least, mostly safe) and wound-free. And for the very first time, the burly dwarf decided to give into the little voice cooing in the back of his mind, and he scooted towards Tati's petite body, pressing the side of his body firmly against hers, greedily soaking in any heat he could get. (?)

 _Mine…_ A soft voice whispered in his mind, one that Dwalin choose to ignore like he has been doing since the very first time he had met the meek girl, not wanting to dwell at the odd and possessive thought. Especially not in this moment, as they were about to be a troll's dinner.

"Th-they have… Worms! Yes, they're all horribly infested!" Bilbo screeched desperately, pulling the burly dwarf back to the situation at hand.

"Infested ye say?" A troll asked, looking at his "dinner" with cautious eyes.

"Yes, all them. I wouldn't risk it if I were you, really messes with the digestive-" The hobbit was then interrupted by a chorus of denies and outage from the company. Dwalin glared at his comrades, for once agreeing with the halfling as Bilbo groaned aloud, frustrated and exasperated with the proud, and occasionally dim, dwarves.

Dwalin rolled his eyes at the foolishness of his fellow comrades, while his king sent a good kick towards the nearest dwarves, giving them an intense look. It seems that was all that was needed for the company to finally use their heads.

"Oh I'm littered with worms!"

"I have hundreds of them in my tubes!"

"I got ones the size of my arm!"

Dwalin shook his head with a bit of disbelief, because despite knowing how brainless trolls were, the dwarves could have not been more obvious, especially after they had just denied having any sort of disease only moments prior. _And this is why I advised Thorin to train the company more before bringing along, for, while I will admit they are amazing fighters, they have no tact whatsoever._ Dwalin thought to himself with a displeased grunt.

"I don' think we should risk it." The smallest troll squeaked but he was instantly ignored by the other two.

"I don' suppose you want us to let 'em all go?!" The biggest troll yelled, outraged at merely the thought of losing all that meat.

"Well…" Bilbo shrugged sheepishly, suddenly at a standstill for what he should say next.

"It's a trick!" The middle sized troll furiously bellowed. "He jus' wan's to save their puny 'ittle lives!"

The trio of trolls turned a vicious eye on the company of dwarves, now seeming more dangerous than before as they bodies move threateningly towards Bilbo and the bagged ones. "I say, we kill him first," the biggest troll snarled, a large knife gleaming in his hand as he reached forward to grab the hobbit's petrified form.

A sudden figure appeared over the boulders shielding the camp, and Dwalin slouched with relief, knowing that if anyone could get them out of this situation, it would be him; Gandalf. "Let the dawn take you all!" Gandalf yelled, not at all intimidated by the brute size of the mountain trolls.

"Who's he?"

"Can we eat him too?"

Without a moment to spare, the grey wizard slammed his staff into the boulder, sunlight streaming through which stoned the three trolls as they screamed in agony. While they howled, the burly dwarf felt something shift against his side, and felt another bout of overwhelming relief as he glanced over to find Tati finally waking up, her confused, hazel eyes jumping from the stone statues of the trolls, to the rest of the company.

"You okay?" Dwalin grunted, immediately leaning over to help free the girl after he had been freed from his own entrapment.

"I-I think so… Wh-what happ-ppened?" She stuttered softly, her eyes still gazing at the trolls with puzzlement and a bit of fear, understandably due to the earlier incident of them capturing her.

"The mindless lads," Dwalin growled bitterly and furious, still peeved at them despite them all coming out unscathed, "informed us that they had sent you and Bilbo to deal with some pesky mountain trolls, so we came to rescue ye." And after a moment of hesitation, he then reached over gingerly, allowing Tati to back out in case he was pushing it too far or in case she wished to back away.

But she didn't budge an inch, instead watching Dwalin's hands with her eyes holding just a tint of fear, but mostly curiosity, as he smoothed down her clothing, dusting away the stray pieces of grass from her tunic.

To be truthful, he didn't know why he felt the urge to fix her clothes, like a Ma would do to her children after they had just been rough housing. But the urge to smooth out her sleeves while also subtly checking her body for any injuries overwhelmed any confusion he had at the moment.

And after a second or two, he felt Tati finally step out of his hold, a timid smile on her lips as she fiddled nervously with her fingers. "And th-then G-Gandalf came?" She stuttered, as if she was trying to change the subject and was ignoring what had just occurred between the two.

"Aye, we were captured quickly, and Gandalf came to save us. Ye see, even a group of warriors can be no match to brute strength of a trio of mountain trolls, which is why the brothers got quite the tongue lashin' for their stupidity." Dwalin explained, a low growl bursting from his mouth when Tati flinched at the mention of the two boys, clearly unhappy with them as well from the way her lips dropped into a pained frown. (1) Just seeing that was enough to increase the dwarf's ire towards the two simpletons, hating the grimace on Tati's face.

 _While they're still young and inexperienced, at least from what Dwalin has said about them, I still don't get why they're acting like they have been… the way they've been treating Bilbo and I, it's almost as if they're playing a cruel joke on us._ Tati cringed, faint memories of sneering bullies and maliciously smirking teens entering her mind. She shook her head. _No, I shouldn't let them affect me, even if they are doing it on purpose, which they could be doing this accident, not even realizing how they're coming off. Despite this, Thorin made it very clear just how dangerous this mission is going to be, so I need to expect to end in more life-threatening situations, brothers or no brothers._

"I shall allow everyone to check the troll's cave before heading out, grab anything that might be useful, but be swift, we will leave shortly afterwards," the dwarven king's booming voice echoed over the company, commanding their attention towards him.

"Are ye going to stay out here lassie?" Dwalin asked, taking note of Tati's still frazzled exterior, something that made the side of his mouth drop a bit in a frown.

"I-I think I'll s-stay out here," She replied softly, a cautious glance towards the troll's horde.

Dwalin noticed the way her body seemed to twitch and shiver, the way she seemed to stutter more than usual around him, and knew she was probably still reeling from the whole ordeal. It was definitely best for her to stay out here.

"I shall be back shortly," Dwalin assured softly, in a tone he had never, in a all his years of living, had spoken in. A confusing bout of pride overtook him as the girl gave him a relieved smile in return; and like that the odd emotion encased him once more. Trying to push back that odd emotion he rather not observe, the burly dwarf turned to the cave, following in the rest of the company, save for Tati.

He gave an amused snort as he watched his companions instantly lean towards the gold instead of the weaponry, digging their fingers through chests of golden coins and rare jewelry. While Dwalin was amused by their child-like wonder at seeing so much gold, he also understood it. Many of them had either worked, or lived in the castle when it had been overtaken by the dragon, so many of them had not seeing the sparkling, golden coins in many years. It was almost like nostalgia looking at all that treasure again, reminding the company of where and what they're fighting for; their home.

Dwalin moved towards the pile weaponry, finding mostly small daggers and a couple axes, instead of hovering over gold that would become a useless weight throughout the journey. Though as he inspected one of the axes, fingering the blade to see how dull it might've become, and checking its value, he stopped as his eyes caught something very intriguing.

Dark hair and hazel eyes flashed in his mind as he stared at that very thing.

"Anything useful, grab it now, we're heading out immediately," Thorin's deep voice ordered, storming out of the cave, obviously angry with one thing or another.

Grabbing it quickly, Dwalin stuffed the thing into one of his pockets and followed the rest of the company out.

OOO

Tati rubbed her ponies neck, her eyes gazing at her riding companion's back as he entered the cave and out of sight. It she was to be truthful, she would say that she was anxious to get back on the road, for it had become norm for her, and the normalcy was something that might help soothe her nerves. She was still in a bit of a shock from the whole ordeal, and wished to be nowhere near that cave.

She found herself waiting impatiently for Thorin's heavy voice to order them to move out, her feet tapping rapidly against the grass.

"Finally," Tati whispered as her shoulders slumped with relief as she heard her very promise come true as that said dwarf yelled for everyone to get their behinds in gear.

With trembling fingers, Tati reached onto the back of her pony, attempting pitifully to pull herself up, her entire arms shaking as she did so. She knew it had to do with shock, for it had been a long while since she had strained so hard to get onto the back of the pony. Tati jumped a bit as she felt familiar hands quickly help her onto the back of the pony, and felt a familiar body slide in behind her just as quickly.

"Let's head out, we need to cover as much ground as possible before sundown."

And like that the company moved forward, hearty chatter filling the air. It seems the treasure trove in the caves lightened the spirits of the company, completely forgetting about the whole troll incident earlier. That is, except for Dwalin, Tati, and Bilbo, who rode in silence, Tati's body shivering uncontrollably, while she bit her lip in shame, knowing that no doubt her riding companion could feel every shake. After a few long minutes of fruitlessly trying to control her shakes, the dwarf behind her pressed his chest against her back more than what was needed to steer the pony.

And while the heat generated from his body seemed to calm Tati's mind, it could do nothing against her shivering.

"Yer in shock," Dwalin's quiet voice murmured in her ear after hours of silence between the two, Tati's heart jumping a bit in surprise.

"I think it's f-finally hitting me that m-me fully that I c-could've died last n-night," she stuttered, softly, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

After all, if this is how she is going to act every time her life is in danger (and she was sure it was bound to happen again on such a extreme quest like this one) then she knew she would be even more of a burden than before.

However, all of her thought process stopped as she felt Dwalin's meaty hands squeeze her upper arms in a comforting manner, his hands lingering there. "Take deep, slow breaths, lassie, and think about one of yer nice memories that ye have." He replied lowly against her ear lobe, and Tati did just as he said, taking in long, heavy breaths and thinking of the best memory she could conjure.

The shivers stopped after a few minutes, and her mind felt suddenly clearer, something she hadn't even noticed before. "Thank you, Dwalin," she answered gratefully, giving him a soft, but quick squeeze on the forearm

Both noticed how for the rest of the day Dwalin held rather tightly, but not painfully, onto Tati; more so that what was needed, and how she hadn't pushed out of his hold after a few minutes like usual. But neither mentioned it, taking in the odd warmth they both felt.

 **To be continued…**

 _Please note that this is not me bashing the brothers, they will redeem themselves, however I did feel they were still a bit immature in some parts of The Hobbit series, and so I'm putting them exactly how they are in this story. Eventually they will grow up, but I thought that maybe Tati's fearful attitude towards them will push them to develop as characters and become more mature._

 _A/N: Hey I know, it's been a while. I got a job and they nearly having me work full-time hours, which is nice pay wise, and but other than that I wish I had more time to work on my stories._

 _To Pint-sized She-Bear:_ _Thank you_

 _To Kelwtim2spar_ _: Hope you've enjoyed it and it lived up to your expectations haha_

 _To Thilbo4Ever:_ _Sorry it's been a while, and yeah I just recently got a job and my anxiety seemed to just disappear after that. I hope you're doing good!_

 _To Christmas 95:_ _Thank you, enjoy!_

 _To angel897:_ _Thanks!_

 _To Emrfangirl:_ _Yes, this story will never be abandoned, and yeah Dwalin is my fav too, I wish he was more shown in the Hobbit series._

 _To Jhessill:_ _Thank you!_

 _To Puffgirl1952 the 2_ _nd_ _:_ _Thank you!_

 _To Guest:_ _Thanks and enjoy!_

 _To Sorting Hat:_ _You left a lot of interesting comments haha, and in a good way. I apologize I didn't put any rape/molestation warnings, since this fanfic is rated T and the fact that I tried to not make the scenes too graphic I had hoped everyone would be okay with it, I always felt like the warnings were just spoilers to the rest of the chapter, but I still apologize for not adding extra warnings. Also the thing about "pregnant pause" pregnant has another meaning other than a women with child; it also means: full of meaning, significance, and suggestive; in fact in some dictionaries that very phrase is used as an example. It's also a commonly used as "slang for authors" for a long important pause/moment. I don't mind constructive criticism, in fact I love it, so thank you for yours and for pointing some things out I have missed!_

 _To thewolf74:_ _Enjoy!_

 _To :_ _Hope you enjoy!_

 _To little-red-wolf5793:_ _Thank you!_


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